In a high-stakes ideological clash at the India AI Impact Summit 2026, White House technology adviser Michael Kratsios declared that the United States is fundamentally opposed to any form of global centralized control over artificial intelligence. Speaking in New Delhi on Friday, Kratsios argued that subjecting AI to international bureaucracies would “extinguish the hope” of a brighter future and stifle the competitive spirit of independent nations.
The remarks follow a series of executive actions by the Trump administration to repeal the previous “diffusion framework,” which Kratsios claimed had unfairly categorized partners like India as “second-tier” nations.
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US vs. UN: The Battle for AI Oversight
The US stance stands in direct opposition to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, who used his keynote address at the same summit to advocate for a global AI fund and a scientific watchdog similar to the IPCC. Guterres warned that the future of AI cannot be “left to the whims of a few billionaires.”
Kratsios fired back, labeling such “risk-focused obsessions” with climate or equity as excuses for “tyrannical control.” He argued that instead of international dialogues, nations should focus on bilateral partnerships that empower local innovation without “embedded political orthodoxies.”
The “American AI Exports” Program
To solidify this “partner-first” approach, the US has unveiled a whole-of-government strategy to export the American AI Stack.
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National Champions Initiative: The US Commerce Department will integrate leading AI firms from partner nations into customized US export stacks
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US Tech Corps: A new Peace Corps initiative providing technical volunteers to help allies deploy AI in public services.
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New Financing: The Treasury Department is launching a fund at the World Bank specifically to help developing nations overcome the high entry costs of AI infrastructure.
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Sovereignty vs. Self-Sufficiency
Kratsios offered a provocative definition of AI Sovereignty. He argued that trying to build a full AI stack from scratch is a “recipe for being left behind.” Instead, he urged nations like India to adopt best-in-class American components—hardware, models, and standards—while their own national champions work on customization.
“Real AI sovereignty means owning and using best-in-class technology for the benefit of your people,” Kratsios said. “It does not mean waiting to participate in an AI-enabled global market until you have tried and failed to build full self-sufficiency.”
Reality Check
The US is pitching “strategic autonomy” through American tools. Still, relying on the American AI Stack creates a deep technical dependency. Therefore, while Kratsios claims nations can “chart their own destiny,” they are effectively building their future on US-owned foundations. In fact, if the US decides to cut off access—as it has done with China—a nation following this model would find its “sovereign” AI ecosystem paralyzed overnight.
The Loopholes
The US “rejects global governance” but is pushing for Pax Silica, which is essentially a US-led governance bloc. In fact, the “Gold Standard” labels for American AI are a way to set international norms without going through the UN. Therefore, the loophole is that “no governance” really means “US-aligned governance.” Still, for India, this is a pragmatic loophole that allows it to skip the ₹50,000 crore cost of developing foundational hardware in exchange for faster deployment in healthcare and agriculture.
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What This Means for You
If you are an AI founder or a policy researcher, realize that the “Non-Aligned” tech path is becoming increasingly difficult. First, evaluate the American AI Export packages; if your startup can get World Bank financing or US Tech Corps support, it might be the fastest way to scale. Then, watch for the “No Woke AI” procurement guidelines; the Trump administration has indicated it will only partner with firms that maintain “objective” systems free from top-down ideological bias.
Finally, understand that Sovereign Data is your only real leverage. You should ensure that while you use American “compute,” you keep your training data localized and under Indian jurisdiction. Before committing to a specific stack, check if the Chip Security Act “kill switch” concerns have been addressed in the new bilateral deals to ensure your infrastructure remains truly autonomous in a crisis.
What’s Next
The US Commerce Department will issue a public call for “Full-Stack AI Export Proposals” by early March 2026. Then, the US-India Pax Silica agreement will officially begin its implementation phase, with the first “Tech Corps” volunteers arriving in Delhi. Finally, the UN’s Global Dialogue on AI Governance in Geneva this May will be the next major arena where the US and UN visions for the future of the internet will collide.
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