• artificial intelligence governance
• digital colonialism
• digital sovereignty
• geopolitics
• global south
• technology policy

The present thesis examines the approaches adopted by the European Union, the United States, China, and selected Global South actors with regard to the development of regulatory and industrial strategies for artificial intelligence (AI). The aim is to explore how these strategies are shaping digital sovereignty, both within the major powers and in the Global South. The study utilises a comparative analysis of discourses, policy strategies and regulatory initiatives, complemented by a critical review of academic literature, to evaluate governance models, industrial approaches and their sovereignty outcomes. Particular attention is paid to the African Union, Brazil, and India, in order to assess not only the external effects of global powers’ strategies, but also the potential efficiency of emerging Global South initiatives. The findings indicate that while dominant actors pursue autonomy through regulation, investment, and standard-setting, their approaches often reproduce dependency patterns abroad. Despite their recent emergence and fragility, strategies from the Global South demonstrate the potential for international cooperation and the exploration of alternative pathways. The present study contributes to debates on AI governance, digital sovereignty, and the decolonial dimensions of the global digital order.