Power Is the First AI Policy

For the past several years, the artificial intelligence debate has revolved around models. Which system is most capable? Which company is ahead? Which country controls the most advanced chips? Which rules should govern safety, bias, copyright, privacy, and national security? Those questions still matter. But they are no longer enough. AI has entered a different […]

The Sovereignty Trap and Other Lessons

A note on sourcing: This roundtable was conducted under the Chatham House Rule. The summary below reflects the substance of the discussion only—no comment is attributed to any individual or to the organizations they represent. On June 4, 2026, NYU’s Wahba Initiative for Strategic Competition convened a private roundtable in Washington, D.C. on building allied […]

The Architecture of Trust

Policymakers typically frame artificial intelligence competition as a race to build the latest and greatest models. But the next phase of geopolitical competition will be won by the coalition of countries that successfully deploys the most trusted ecosystem at scale—one anchored in physical infrastructure such as energy grids and telecommunications systems, as well as financing, […]

Building the Institutions of Strategic Capital

The following insights emerged from a WISC roundtable with senior leaders from government, finance, industry, academia, and think tanks. Held under the Chatham House Rule, they examined how democratic societies can mobilize capital at strategic scale. The old economic playbook in democratic economies drew a strict boundary between public governance and private capital. State intervention […]

Preparing Talent for the AI Economy

The following summarizes key insights from a panel discussion on “Preparing Talent for the AI Economy” at the NYU AI and the Workforce Conference with President Andrew Armacost of the University of North Dakota, President Pam Eddinger of Bunker Hill Community College, and President Todd Saliman of the University of Colorado, moderated by NYU DRI […]

Mark Kennedy on the US–China Tech Race in Goldman Sachs Research’s Top of Mind

The Global Competition for Dominance in Artificial Intelligence

While steam powered the 19th century and electricity defined the 20th, the prime transformative force shaping the 21st century is artificial intelligence (AI). It is the heartbeat of what Klaus Schwab, founder of the World Economic Forum, calls the “The Fourth Industrial Revolution,” a fusion of technologies blurring the boundaries between physical, digital, and biological […]

America’s AI Exports Program Comments

Docket No. ITA-ITA-2025-0070 Section A — Respondent Background Identify and describe who you represent and explain why you are providing input to this RFI. The Wahba Initiative for Strategic Competition (WISC) is an applied policy and research initiative based at New York University’s Development Research Institute. WISC focuses on strategic competition, geoeconomic statecraft, technology governance, […]

360° View of Alliances: How They Benefit America—And How They Must Evolve

Alliances at the Crossroads By Mark R. Kennedy, Founding Director, Wahba Initiative for Strategic Competition Alliances are America’s most underappreciated strategic asset. They extend our reach, multiply our capabilities, and give our actions legitimacy. They deter adversaries not only through collective military strength, but also by weaving together economic, technological, diplomatic, and cultural ties that […]

Who Writes the Digital Rules, Wins the Future

Writing rules for the digital economy is a balancing act. Everyone agrees that to derive the maximum benefit from the digital economy requires keeping obstacles to trade to a minimum. Yet, there is also a consensus that questions of national security, consumer protection and competition are of crucial importance.  For political, economic and strategic reasons […]