After the United States unveiled its comprehensive AI strategy titled “Winning the Race: America’s AI Action Plan”on 23 July 2025, which focuses on accelerating innovation, strengthening AI infrastructure, and securing U.S. leadership in the field, several countries from the Global South have swiftly moved to develop their own AI governance frameworks. These initiatives aim to ensure their technological sovereignty, ethical standards, and socioeconomic priorities are reflected amid the global AI race.
China: Championing Global AI Standards and Infrastructure: China’s AI governance efforts are anchored in its recently announced Global AI Governance Action Plan, showcased at the 2025 World Artificial Intelligence Conference (WAIC) in Shanghai. Beijing aims not only to boost domestic AI innovation but also to position itself as a leader in establishing international AI norms.
The plan emphasises global solidarity to fully harness AI’s potential while ensuring safety, fairness, and controllability. It calls for active collaboration among governments, enterprises, research institutions, and civil society to accelerate digital infrastructure development and promote AI applications across industries such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and smart cities. China advocates building a diverse and open AI ecosystem by fostering open-source communities, facilitating data sharing with privacy safeguards, and advancing green and sustainable AI technologies.
To address AI risks, the plan highlights the need for rigorous safety governance frameworks, risk assessments, and traceability management of AI services. China further supports the implementation of the United Nations Pact for the Future and stresses strengthening international cooperation for capacity building, especially to assist developing countries in bridging the AI divide. A multi-stakeholder governance model is encouraged to ensure inclusive dialogue among AI enterprises, researchers, and policymakers worldwide.
Pakistan: Building AI Capacity Through Education, Ethics, and Innovation: Pakistan is actively developing its AI governance framework through a comprehensive National AI Policy aimed at harnessing the country’s young and growing population to drive sustainable economic growth and societal benefits. With over 64% of its 224 million citizens under the age of 30, Pakistan sees AI as a key technology to transform its economy and public services.
The policy outlines a multi-faceted approach focused on four strategic pillars:
- Awareness and Readiness: Raising public understanding of AI technologies and integrating AI education into national curricula to prepare the workforce for emerging AI-driven industries.
- Market Enablement: Establishing research and innovation centres, supporting industry-academia collaborations, and creating an enabling ecosystem for AI development and deployment.
- Building a Trusted Environment: Creating a regulatory directorate to ensure the ethical, transparent, and accountable use of AI, with safeguards against bias and discrimination.
- Transformation and Evolution: Facilitating sectoral transformation in governance, healthcare, agriculture, and other key areas to leverage AI for improved services and economic opportunities.
The policy also emphasises investment in research infrastructure, data standards, and international cooperation to strengthen Pakistan’s AI capabilities. By promoting responsible AI aligned with national development goals, Pakistan aims to foster innovation that benefits all segments of society, ensuring equitable access to AI’s advantages while addressing potential risks such as job displacement and privacy concerns.
Indonesia: Emphasising Stakeholder Engagement and Ethical AI: Indonesia recently adopted a participatory approach by releasing a Public Consultation on the National Artificial Intelligence Roadmap White Paper and the Draft Artificial Intelligence Ethics Guidelines on 8 August 2025. These documents emphasise:
- The importance of stakeholder engagement across government, industry, and civil society.
- Promoting transparency in AI development and deployment.
- Integrating ethical principles in both public and private sector AI applications.
Looking Ahead: A Multipolar AI Governance Landscape
As AI continues to reshape economies and societies worldwide, the evolving governance models from the Global South will play a crucial role in ensuring that AI development is ethical, inclusive, and aligned with human and sustainable development goals. This multipolar evolution of AI governance offers promise for more diverse, ethical, and sustainable AI innovation but also raises important questions about how different national approaches will interact on the global stage.