AMERIKAN OLIGARCHS
AI Titans At The White House: The Start Of A New Power Era? – Analysis
The gathering at the White House on September 4, 2025, was more than a photo opportunity. With President Trump flanked by some of the most powerful technology executives on the planet, this event was a deliberate message: the United States intends to dominate the future of artificial intelligence, and it’s willing to put political capital, money, and diplomatic influence behind that ambition.
What unfolded was part celebration, part declaration of a new industrial order—one that may soon rival the oil giants of the last century in its ability to shape geopolitics, economics, and even the security landscape of entire continents.
Each executive’s words carried a tone of certainty, as though AI’s disruptive rise was no longer in question but already an established fact. Tim Cook’s mention of Apple’s $600 billion domestic investment and Meta’s plan to match that figure through 2028 weren’t just business updates; they were signals of a future where innovation and geopolitical influence are tightly bound together. Satya Nadella, Sundar Pichai, and Lisa Su emphasized trust, market access, and semiconductor leadership—all subtle reminders that the physical infrastructure of AI is as politically sensitive as the technology itself.
This convergence of corporate strategy and state power suggests a shift that feels eerily familiar. The oil industry once redrew borders, toppled regimes, and dictated global trade patterns. Now, AI seems poised to play a similar role, though the battlefield has moved from deserts and seas to server farms and semiconductor supply chains. The AI Action Plan, under Trump’s direction, has effectively given these companies a national security mandate. Innovation is no longer simply a private-sector game; it’s a strategic asset that could tip the balance of global power.
War and Security: Invisible Weapons and Silent Frontlines
The geopolitical implications are staggering. AI-driven warfare will not necessarily be defined by tanks and missiles. Instead, power will be exercised through control of algorithms, data pipelines, and networked defense systems that make traditional deterrence strategies feel outdated. The executives’ remarks hinted at this without saying it outright. Nadella’s insistence on “trust” was not just branding; it was an acknowledgment that whoever sets global AI standards will also control surveillance systems, autonomous weaponry, and cybersecurity infrastructure.
The United States’ strategy is clear: cement its AI dominance before rivals can catch up. If history is a guide, this could accelerate arms races, but not in the conventional sense. Expect state and non-state actors to fight over datasets, algorithmic advances, and control over key semiconductor production hubs. The cost of falling behind may be existential, especially for smaller nations that lack bargaining power in this emerging hierarchy.
Diplomacy in the Age of Algorithms
What’s striking about this summit is the absence of traditional diplomacy. Heads of state were not negotiating treaties; tech executives were setting the tone for international engagement. The influence of these companies now rivals that of nation-states, and diplomacy is increasingly carried out through corporate channels. Apple, Google, Meta, and Microsoft have customer bases larger than the populations of most countries, giving them leverage over data flows, infrastructure standards, and even public discourse.
This creates a peculiar scenario: states may soon compete not only for alliances but for partnerships with a handful of AI conglomerates. Smaller nations might find themselves bypassing traditional diplomatic networks, negotiating directly with corporate giants to secure access to critical AI infrastructure. For the so-called Third World, this could be both an opportunity and a trap—access to cutting-edge tools might come at the cost of sovereignty, as reliance on foreign AI systems locks them into dependencies harder to escape than debt.
Financial Power and Control Over Choke Points
One theme woven through the executives’ comments was the sheer scale of financial muscle behind AI. Apple and Meta’s combined trillion-dollar investment plans dwarf the GDP of many nations. Safra Catz’s praise for Trump’s policies wasn’t just flattery; it reflected Oracle’s deepening role as a backbone provider for data management. These companies are building digital choke points that rival the Suez Canal or the Strait of Hormuz in geopolitical importance. Control over cloud infrastructure, semiconductor production, and data routing will function like modern-day shipping lanes, determining who can innovate and who falls behind.
Semiconductors, in particular, are becoming a strategic asset on par with oil. Lisa Su’s remarks about U.S. semiconductor acceleration reveal a race not just for commercial dominance but for national security. The future of AI—and, by extension, the future of warfare, commerce, and communications—rests on the ability to manufacture chips at scale. Whoever controls this supply chain will hold leverage over every sector dependent on AI, which increasingly means everything.
Innovation as Political Leverage
It’s easy to frame this as a technological revolution, but it’s more accurate to see it as a consolidation of power. Innovation has always been a political tool, and in this era, it functions as a means of global influence. The U.S. strategy is to make itself indispensable not through military bases or natural resources, but through AI systems so deeply embedded in global infrastructure that disentangling from them would be nearly impossible.
Companies like Google and OpenAI are creating not just products but standards that define how AI is built, deployed, and governed. As they do, they effectively write the rules of engagement for everything from autonomous vehicles to border surveillance. For emerging economies, this presents a double-edged sword: access to these technologies can accelerate growth but also erode autonomy, as governance systems become reliant on algorithms owned by foreign firms.
The Third World’s Dilemma
For developing countries, the choices ahead are stark. Partnering with U.S.-backed AI companies could bring enormous benefits—efficiencies in agriculture, health care, finance, and education—but it also risks embedding systems that prioritize U.S. interests. Nations that fail to engage might find themselves sidelined in a world where global trade, diplomacy, and even security are managed through AI-driven platforms.
The conversation is no longer about catching up in technology; it’s about negotiating relevance. Some nations may try to hedge by aligning with alternative AI ecosystems from China or Europe, but doing so will require immense capital and diplomatic skill. The emerging order may resemble a form of “digital nonalignment,” where smaller states play multiple AI giants against one another, much like Cold War diplomacy, but in an even more asymmetrical arena.
Are AI Conglomerates the New Oil Barons?
The parallels between AI companies today and oil conglomerates of the past are hard to ignore. Both industries emerged rapidly, concentrated wealth and power in a handful of corporations, and became central to national security strategies. But AI introduces an added complexity: its influence is not confined to energy or logistics but permeates every sector simultaneously. This makes regulating or even monitoring its geopolitical impact much harder.
Unlike oil, AI’s value is not tied to geography in the traditional sense. It relies on talent pools, algorithms, and intellectual property, making its choke points less visible and more resilient. The U.S. bet is that by anchoring these assets domestically, it can maintain strategic dominance for decades. Whether this leads to cooperation or conflict will depend on how other major powers—China, the EU, and possibly India—respond in the next five years.
A Quiet Revolution
What happened at the White House this week should not be underestimated. It was a moment when the lines between corporate power and statecraft blurred to the point of vanishing. The world’s largest tech companies are no longer just innovators; they are geopolitical actors with the ability to shape global narratives, economies, and security landscapes. If the oil barons of the twentieth century redefined energy politics, the AI titans of this century seem poised to do the same for knowledge and power itself.
Syed Raiyan Amir
Syed Raiyan Amir is a Senior Research Associate at The KRF Center for Bangladesh and Global Affairs (CBGA).
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