Building AI Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries
Infrastructure, Governance, and Regulation
Luca Belli author Larissa Galdino de Magalhães Santos author
Format:Hardback
Publisher:Taylor & Francis Ltd
Publishing:8th Dec '26
£171.99
This title is due to be published on 8th December, and will be despatched as soon as possible.
Building upon past and ongoing research on digital sovereignty and AI governance, this volume examines the multiple dimensions of AI sovereignty within the BRICS context. It situates this analysis within a context of intensified geopolitical competition shaped by AI-driven digital transformation and the growing strategic significance of digital technologies.
Across the newly expanded group of BRICS+ countries, approaches to digital sovereignty and AI governance differ substantially in both their underlying rationales and institutional configurations. This volume explores these diverse trajectories by conceptualising AI sovereignty as a state's capacity to understand, develop, and regulate AI systems while preserving self-determination, agency, and control over technological infrastructures and processes. The contributors demonstrate that rationales for AI sovereignty emerge from varied historical, political, and strategic contexts. These range from concerns over technological dependence - often shaped by experiences of colonialism and structural asymmetries - to strategic recognition that domestic innovation capabilities and infrastructure are critical for national development and the pursuit of technological autonomy. As part of this analysis, the authors identify eight Key AI Sovereignty Enablers that provide a framework for assessing national capabilities. Drawing on this framework, the volume evaluates the extent to which selected BRICS countries may be considered “AI sovereign.”
This book will be of interest to researchers and scholars working in AI governance, data regulation, and digital industrial policy, as well as to those in public law and international relations seeking to understand the implications of digital technologies and AI for state functions and global governance. It will also be relevant to researchers and practitioners in the field of international law and development.
Building AI Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries is essential reading for anyone concerned with the future of global digital governance. By examining diverse approaches to AI sovereignty across major emerging economies, this volume provides valuable insights for governments, regulators, and researchers seeking to craft effective national AI strategies in an increasingly contested technological landscape.
Renata Mielli, Coordinator of the Brazilian Internet Steering Committee (CGI.br) and Special Advisor to the Minister of Science, Technology, and Innovation
An incredibly timely collection that decodes the shifting paradigm of global technology governance. By analyzing the friction between technological dependency and strategic autonomy, this book provides an indispensable roadmap for understanding the future of AI sovereignty. A brilliant, forward-looking read that belongs on the desks of policymakers, tech executives, and scholars worldwide.
Min Jiang, Professor at the University of North Carolina at Charlotte
The book is yet another ground-breaking, timely and novel publication which draws from the pioneering research developed by CTS-FGV's CyberBRICS project. This volume advances the debate on digital sovereignty by focusing on the strategic role of AI within the BRICS+ bloc. The book is a must read for researchers and policymakers interested in the future of AI.
Sizwe Lindelo Snail ka Mtuze, Professor at Nelson Mandela University, Former member of the Board of the Information Regulator South Africa
Building AI Sovereignty in the BRICS Countries offers one of the first truly comparative analyses of how emerging powers are shaping the future of artificial intelligence governance and technological autonomy. Combining geopolitical insight, legal analysis, and institutional critique, this volume is indispensable for scholars, policymakers, and practitioners seeking to understand the evolving global AI order.
Francesca Musiani, Research Professor at CNRS, Director of Centre Internet et Société
ISBN: 9781041288183
Dimensions: unknown
Weight: unknown
310 pages