The Other AI Race: An Export Promotion Strategy for the Global South

Marianne Lu and Sam Winter-Levy

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For many in Washington and Silicon Valley, the race to artificial general intelligence has become the defining test of U.S. technological leadership. But the scramble to dominate the frontier has obscured a parallel—and in many ways more immediate—contest: the race to deploy and embed AI systems across the globe and thereby secure market share,

 technological influence, and political leverage. In much of the world, the outcome of that race will not hinge on who builds the most powerful model, but on who shows up with reliable infrastructure, tailored applications, and financing to match.

The scramble to dominate the AI frontier has obscured a parallel contest: the race to deploy AI systems across the globe and thereby secure market share, technological influence, and political leverage.

While America leads at the frontier, in this broader contest its position is less secure. “Good enough” and cheaper Chinese alternatives may increasingly become the default choice in many parts of the world, especially the Global South. In the weeks following its release, Chinese-owned DeepSeek became the most downloaded mobile app in 140 markets,

 including Brazil and India, and now has more than 125 million global downloads. Chinese companies are rolling out models in local languages in key emerging markets, part of a “going global” strategy in deploying cloud infrastructure abroad. Eventually, China may be able to produce competitive AI chips at scale, 

at which point it will likely seek to deploy them globally. Taken together, these developments reflect a broader strategic imperative of the Chinese Communist Party: During the Politburo’s April study session, Xi Jinping called on the country to “vigorously engage in international cooperation on AI” and “help Global South countries enhance their technological capabilities.”