Navigating AI Governance Amid Global Policy Fragmentation
The article argues that the United States, European Union and China all see artificial intelligence as too powerful to be regulated like ordinary technology, yet their divergent approaches risk leaving the world without coherent oversight.
Artificial intelligence is accelerating changes in industries such as finance, healthcare, education and government decision-making, raising urgent questions about oversight. While the United States, the European Union and China each champion different regulatory models, they share the belief that AI cannot be treated as a routine technology. The author points to past transformative shifts—industrialisation, global finance, climate change—that required new institutional arrangements.
Drawing on institutional economist Douglas North, the article suggests that existing rules become inadequate when economic conditions evolve. It warns that the current fragmentation of AI policy could impede the development of effective global governance structures. The piece calls for a coordinated response before AI’s influence outpaces the ability of societies to manage it.
Why it matters
Fragmented AI rules risk ineffective oversight of a technology reshaping economies and governments worldwide.
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