Every government aiming for sovereign artificial intelligence has roughly the same mantra: build their own ChatGPT, leapfrog into AI leadership, and be free of foreign dependence. It’s a compelling narrative, but one that’s arguably unrealistic, as a handful of American and Chinese tech firms control the AI infrastructure — from chips and large language models to cloud services and data centers.
Rising tensions between the U.S. and China, alongside fears of being left behind in the








