AI is finding its way into public governance—that is now a fact. OpenAI has announced the launch of “OpenAI for Countries,” a sweeping global initiative aimed at helping nations build out their AI infrastructure and customize AI capabilities for local needs. This move, unveiled as part of the company’s $500B Stargate project, signals not just a technological leap, but a new era in the geopolitics of AI.
OpenAI’s new program will see the company partnering directly with governments to construct in-country data centers and adapt its products—like ChatGPT—to specific languages and cultural contexts. The goal: to create custom AI assistants for citizens, improving public services in areas such as healthcare, education, and government administration. Funding will be shared between OpenAI and participating countries, with an initial focus on ten democratically aligned nations.
A Two-Way Road
OpenAI’s leadership frames this as a way to extend “US-led AI leadership” and foster a “global, growing network effect” for democratic AI. In other words, OpenAI is positioning itself not just as a tech provider, but as an ambassador for American values and a key player in shaping the future of global governance.
As AI infrastructure becomes inseparable from questions of national identity, strategic interests, and economic security, the “AI race” between nations is entering an unprecedented phase. No longer is this competition just about faster chips or better models—it is now at the very core of geopolitics. For major players like the US and China, achieving AI supremacy translates into new forms of sovereign control, where soft power rapidly morphs into hard power. Whoever controls the standards and infrastructure of AI now gains direct influence over other nations’ economies, public sectors, and even the consent of their citizenry. In this context, OpenAI’s initiative isn’t just technological outreach—it’s geopolitical maneuvering, and the stakes for the world’s balance of power have never been higher.
Human Sovereignty and the Digital State
But the stakes are even larger than the question of human versus AI control in human affairs. What emerges here is the specter of an increasingly globalized—and, crucially, US-driven—superpower operating through standardized technological rails. Who, ultimately, will sit at the helm of this interconnected, AI-enabled juggernaut?
The hand on the wheel may not seem so controversial now, as each partnership is framed as little more than a productivity boost or a modernization measure. Yet, history (and sci-fi!) teaches us that it is these moments—when new tools are quietly seeded into the soil of governance—that ultimately determine the canopy under which nations, and their citizens, later find themselves. Today, we are told this is simply infrastructure for progress. But if these are the roots, what kind of tree will grow—whose fruit will it bear, and who will be allowed to harvest it?
This echoes another initiative associated with Sam Altman: Worldcoin, which aims to create a digital ID for, ultimately, every human, via iris scanning. Such efforts, though often presented as advancements in efficiency or security, prompt deep reflection on privacy, identity, and control in the digital era. As these technologies are woven into the fabric of society, we must carefully consider whether their benefits are distributed equitably—and who is empowered or diminished by their adoption.
The Great Schism Among the Top Human Minds in AI
This should have been the subject for another article, but I cannot ignore its relevance here. As top AI scientists like Yoshua Bengio and Geoffrey Hinton express deep concerns and often take a more pessimistic stance, a clear schism emerges: top industry leaders (like Sam Altman) are notably optimistic, pushing for more AI advancement and advocating for less regulation. These two sides have sharply diverged. However, recent developments such as the Stargate project only reinforce the skeptics’ positions. If AI weaves itself more deeply into public governance, the call for caution becomes even more pressing—lending further credibility to critics like Bengio.
To Cite This Article
@misc{SadouneBlog2025c,
title = {The Stargate Project and the Digital State: Skynet Is Born},
author = {Igor Sadoune},
year = {2025},
url = {https://sadoune.me/posts/ai_public_governance/}
}