In 58 posts with close to 100k words, we shared a lot in 2024! Explore 2024’s biggest geopolitical shifts, cultural battles, and bold insights with Drishtikone’s year in review. See you in 2025! Happy New Year! Be safe!
When you see Russia get into existential war over Ukraine, or Israel bomb Syria or India battle with Pakistan or Bangladesh, it is not because of some whim. It has a historical and geographical context. That is critical to understand for analyzing geopolitics.
Dive into the shadowy world of the Deep State—its hidden structures, powerful networks, and the far-reaching impact on global events and control.
Artificial Intelligence is one of the areas which will differentiate the winners of tomorrow from the losers. The countries and societies which focus on this one area will be able to lead over the others. Much the same way that the countries which focused on science and technology of earlier years did.
Despite USD 6.1 billion in funding in Artificial Intelligence - compared to USD 3.6 billion for US startups - the Chinese companies are not delivering enough, finds research. Click To Tweet
And, this difference will be far more visible in the area of Defence and industry. Like the Google and Microsoft of today, the new Artificial Intelligence area leaders could be the leading companies of the future and change the economy of those regions.
The Chinese startups in the field of Artificial Intelligence have received USD 6.1 bn in funding, while the US companies raised USD 3.6 billion in the same time. And even when the number of startups in China in this field are second only to the US, China is still not winning the AI race.
Lux research did a detailed analysis of China’s AI patents, research papers, venture capital (VC) funding, and related data to find reality. (You can read it here – Lux Research China AI Executive Summary).
The strange thing is that even though China leads in the volume of patents and papers, when it comes to creating truly innovative technologies much progress has not been made.
Please read this article on how different areas are coming together – How Big Data, Neural Networks and Artificial Intelligence are converging
The work in AI in China has focused on areas like computer vision, voice recognition, and NLP and although they have done a great job in the local market, they have not had a remarkable advantage against their counterparts in Western Europe and the US.
When it comes to innovation, funding is not always easily translatable into great innovation. Probably some of the main ingredients from research to real products need competition and a social system that has the right delivery systems. Silicon Valley is a great example of that society of great delivery system. Since most of the investments and subsidies are by the government, that eco-system is never created in a place like China for Artificial Intelligence startups.
New configuration and dynamics is brewing up in North and South Korea that may have larger ramifications.
Rare Earth Elements (REE) will change and rule the world as oil did in the last century. China dominates that industry like no other. And it uses that monopoly to beat down on its adversaries.
The Great Depression of the 1930s led to World War 2 in a significant manner. Current economic crises and geopolitical battles are converging. What will the coming wars be like? We look at the scenario deeply.
Attack by Hamas took a lot to accomplish. The sudden Chinese bonhomie with Syria and the bringing together of Arab - Sunni and Shia countries and actors by Xi Jinping's regime raises some questions .
Every Sunday AM (US Time)/ PM (India time), we send out a weekly detailed newsletter. We also share other insightful notes during the week. Its free. Do sign up and share with friends!
