How are non-aligned nations — India, the Gulf states, Southeast Asia — positioning themselves in the global AI race?

Non-aligned nations like India are actively positioning themselves in the global AI race through ambitious investments, international summits, and a light-touch regulatory approach to foster innovation and adoption. India aims to invest $200 billion by 2033 in AI infrastructure, data centers, and chips under the IndiaAI Mission, while hosting events like the AI Impact Summit to assert leadership in the global south and collaborate with US firms such as OpenAI, Nvidia, and Google on partnerships and market expansion [7][8][10]. This strategy emphasizes democratization of AI access, existing laws for regulation, and positioning India as a "force multiplier" for global growth, though it faces challenges in catching up to US and China dominance and addressing infrastructure gaps [2][5][6][9][12]. Tech leaders view India's mass adoption as a potential leader in boosting productivity and emerging markets, but risks of global divides persist without inclusive strategies [11]. Gulf states are betting heavily on AI investments to build domestic capabilities and secure geopolitical backing from the US, amid tensions like those with Iran. They are attracting massive commitments from tech giants like Alphabet, Amazon, Microsoft, and Meta, totaling $600 billion in AI spending this year, to develop sovereign AI infrastructure as a form of strategic protection [3][4]. The sources provide insufficient information on how Southeast Asian nations are positioning themselves in the global AI race, with only passing mentions of countries like Indonesia in broader global south contexts [8].