Artificial Intelligence

Artificial Intelligence

The AI race isn’t about who builds the best chatbot—it’s about who converts AI capabilities into real national power. Success depends on a country’s ability to ensure access to AI, foster trust, and govern the technology. While everyone sees AI’s potential, few understand the mechanics.

Featured Research

About AIxAC

AI across AC (AIxAC) is a coordinated effort of the Atlantic Council’s sixteen programs and centers. We are building the playbook for democratic AI leadership and what it can achieve—through a coherent framework built by our experts on economic policy, defense, energy, global governance, and technology. 

Five takeaways for US policymakers about China’s new five-year development plan

Atlantic Council Strategy Paper Series Feb 10, 2026

AI and the future

What does the next year, decade, and beyond hold for AI? We interviewed the Atlantic Council’s tech experts to learn more about AI’s future, and whether it can help us better understand our own.

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Five takeaways for US policymakers about China’s new five-year development plan

Dispatches Jan 30, 2026

Dispatch from India: How a low-cost, high-quality consumer model can expand India’s AI adoption

By Srujan Palkar

Applying the idea of India’s “sachet model” of low-cost consumer goods to AI services could accelerate AI adoption in the country.
Artificial Intelligence India
Five takeaways for US policymakers about China’s new five-year development plan

Dispatches Jan 15, 2026

Eight ways AI will shape geopolitics in 2026

By Atlantic Council experts

Experts from the Atlantic Council Technology Programs share their perspectives on what to expect from AI around the globe in the year ahead.
Artificial Intelligence China

GeoTech Commission

Geopolitical strategy in an age of artificial intelligence

The Atlantic Council draws on its preeminent technology programs and deep geopolitical expertise to orient its GeoTech Commission on enabling the United States to more effectively shape the global future defined by artificial intelligence.

India’s AI Impact Summit

Atlantic Council at India’s AI Impact Summit

As the international community confronts critical choices on AI governance, the India AI Impact Summit (Feb 19–20) brings global leaders together to drive action. Read the Atlantic Council’s analysis and explore our high-level convenings.

Featured Projects

AI Connect

An initiative that encourages the responsible stewardship of AI technologies in line with the OECD AI Principles and that empowers low and middle-income countries to more effectively participate in the global, multistakeholder conversation on AI policy.

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Featured Events

Public Event Tue, January 20, 2026 • 3:00 pm ET

AI innovation and the talent gap: Competing at the pace of technical change

AI leaders and policy experts explored how nations can build the technical expertise and adaptive institutions needed to govern rapidly advancing AI systems.

Artificial Intelligence Digital Policy Technology & Innovation

Explore the Programs

The Atlantic Council Technology Programs comprises five existing efforts—the Digital Forensic Research Lab (DFRLab), the GeoTech Center, the Cyber Statecraft Initiative, the Democracy + Tech Initiative, and the Capacity Building Initiative. These operations work together to address the geopolitical implications of technology and provide policymakers and global stakeholders necessary research, insights, and convenings to address challenges around global technology and ensure its responsible advancement.

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Content

Dispatches

Mar 31, 2026

Five takeaways for US policymakers about China’s new five-year development plan

By Melanie Hart, Caroline Costello, Samantha Wong

Chinese leaders are much more focused on their nation’s strengths than its weaknesses, and they are feeling bullish about the future.

Artificial Intelligence China

Issue Brief

Mar 31, 2026

Securing cloud infrastructure for AI

By Sara Ann Brackett

With AI raising the stakes of cloud security and key cybersecurity institutions weakened or dissolved, this brief outlines needed policy steps to promote transparency and accountability across the cloud ecosystem.

Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity
VANDENBERG SPACE FORCE BASE, CALIF., CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES 12.18.2025

Report

Mar 30, 2026

How NATO can integrate AI to prevail in future algorithmic warfare

By Dominika Kunertova

NATO’s competitive edge in the era of emerging and disruptive technologies will come from treating AI as a general-purpose enabler embedded across the Alliance’s digital backbone. Military AI does not generate new risks but creates more room for human error and miscalculation. Accidents and inadvertent escalation thus become more likely as military systems bring in more AI components.

Artificial Intelligence Cybersecurity

In the News

Mar 28, 2026

Daniels published in RAND on AI competition between the US and China

By Atlantic Council

On March 26, Forward Defense Nonresident Senior Fellow Owen Daniels published a policy paper for the RAND Corporation on “Open Models, Soft Power, and Spectrum of US-China Artificial Intelligence Competition.”

Artificial Intelligence China

Dispatches

Mar 26, 2026

The Anthropic standoff reveals a larger crisis of trust over AI

By Tess deBlanc-Knowles

Treating public skepticism as noise to be managed rather than a signal to be heeded risks causing rapid political polarization on artificial intelligence.

Artificial Intelligence Defense Policy

In the News

Mar 23, 2026

Daniels interviewed on Fox Report on AI tools in Iran

By Atlantic Council

On March 22, Forward Defense Nonresident Senior Fellow Owen Daniels was interviewed on Fox Report on the topic of the use of artificial intelligence in the Iran conflict.

Artificial Intelligence Defense Policy

In the News

Feb 28, 2026

Daniels featured on NewsNation panel on the Pentagon’s use of AI

By Atlantic Council

On February 28, Forward Defense Nonresident Senior Fellow Owen Daniels appeared on a NewsNation panel discussing the Pentagon’s feud with Anthropic. Daniels points out that Anthropic’s action could set a precedent for future AI companies behavior, and that the Pentagon was concerned by this possibility.  

Artificial Intelligence Defense Policy

In the News

Feb 27, 2026

Daniels quoted in CNN article on the Anthropic safety saga

By Atlantic Council

On February 26, Forward Defense Nonresident Senior Fellow Owen Daniels was quoted in a CNN article on the Pentagon’s security concerns over Anthropic. Daniels pointed out that a large, near-term consequence for Anthropic is the loss of client and potential customer value and trust in the company.  

Artificial Intelligence Defense Policy

In the News

Feb 25, 2026

Daniels in PBS News on Anthropic’s bargaining power with the Pentagon

By Atlantic Council

On February 24, Forward Defense Nonresident Senior Fellow Owen Daniels was quoted in a PBS News article on Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth’s feud with AI company Anthropic. In the article, Daniels points out that Anthropic does not have much bargaining power in the Pentagon, as other peers have complied with department policy. 

Artificial Intelligence Defense Policy

GeoTech Cues

Feb 13, 2026

The road to the AI Impact Summit: How to build AI infrastructure from the ground up

By Ryan Pan, Coley Felt, Raul Brens Jr.

The central question for AI in 2026 is not whether governments have an AI strategy—it’s whether they can operationalize it and quickly deliver the benefits to their citizens.

Artificial Intelligence Digital Policy
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Experts

Fellow

Cole McFaul

Nonresident Fellow

Global China Hub

Artificial Intelligence China

Fellow

Itai Melchior

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Project for Middle East Integration

Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Artificial Intelligence Economy & Business

Fellow

Lyndsey Merrill Feinberg

Nonresident Senior Fellow, Middle East Programs

Global Energy Center Rafik Hariri Center & Middle East programs

Artificial Intelligence Digital Policy

Fellow

Joel Meyer

Nonresident Senior Fellow

Adrienne Arsht National Security Resilience Initiative GeoStrategy Initiative

Artificial Intelligence Defense Policy

Fellow

Mike Minihan

Distinguished Fellow

Indo-Pacific Security Initiative Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security

Artificial Intelligence China

Fellow

Meshack Kinyua Ndiritu

Nonresident Senior Fellow

GeoTech Center

Africa Artificial Intelligence
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