Digital Policy

NOW CLOSED. The Heinrich Böll Foundation Washington, DC is pleased to announce its Global Majority AI Fellowship, a new initiative to support civil society experts from the Global South to participate in the first session of the UN Global Dialogue on AI Governance.

How the Anthropic-Pentagon dispute – and the transatlantic pressures that surround it – expose a political gap in Europe's approach to military AI governance.

In 2024, Elon Musk’s xAI built the world’s largest AI data center in South Memphis. What began with grand promises of jobs and development for South Memphis residents quickly followed a pattern all too familiar: gas turbines running without permits, pollution pouring into an already overburdened neighborhood, and a government that looked the other way.

Both the U.S. and the EU are retreating from efforts to regulate the risks of AI. With growing economic nationalism and AI spending driving markets, the two sides are competing for AI innovation instead of collaborating to address AI risks and supporting trust in the technology. The Trump administration’s latest Executive Order on AI seeks to preempt state laws without a federal framework already in place, leaving a gap in regulation. Meanwhile, the EU is scaling back the AI Act. Big Tech stands to gain from the deregulatory pushes, while the populations of the U.S. and Europe absorb the risks.

The Migration and Technology Monitor and Heinrich Böll Foundation are hosting a Nairobi gathering to bridge divides, share research, and shape policy. Half the attendees are Global North scholars; half are MTM Fellows with lived migration or occupation experience.

Europe and Canada can only protect their digital ecosystems against US interference if they start investing in tech sovereignty now.

Trump’s tariff hike on Brazil targets its digital sovereignty, pressuring it to ease Big Tech regulations. Backed by tech giants and Bolsonaro allies, the move drew backlash from Brazil’s government and civil society defending democratic control over tech platforms.

AI's transformative potential intersects with significant risks already manifesting globally, with notable impacts in Global Majority countries. The path forward requires recognizing that climate action and responsible AI development are not competing priorities but interconnected challenges that demand integrated solutions.