Stanford
University
  • Stanford Home
  • Maps & Directions
  • Search Stanford
  • Emergency Info
  • Terms of Use
  • Privacy
  • Copyright
  • Trademarks
  • Non-Discrimination
  • Accessibility
© Stanford University.  Stanford, California 94305.

AI and Geopolitics

Global AI competition is central to today’s geopolitical debates. Rapid advancement in AI capabilities and adoption present both unprecedented opportunities and risks to international stability and governance. Yet the scholarship needed to navigate this new terrain is dangerously fragmented. Stanford HAI and the Hoover Institution’s Technology Policy Accelerator (TPA) are advancing an ambitious research agenda focused on the most important geopolitical policy challenges impacted by AI.

Amy Zegart
Morris Arnold and Nona Jean Cox Senior Fellow at the Hoover Institution | Senior Fellow, Freeman Spogli Institute for International Studies | Associate Director and Senior Fellow, Stanford HAI | Professor, by courtesy, of Political Science, Stanford
Chris Manning headshot
Christopher Manning
Thomas M. Siebel Professor of Machine Learning in the Departments of Linguistics and Computer Science | Associate Director and Senior Fellow, Stanford HAI
yejin choi
Yejin Choi
Dieter Schwarz Foundation HAI Professor | Professor of Computer Science | Senior Fellow, Stanford HAI
Elizabeth Economy
Hargrove Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution
Mykel Kochenderfer
Associate Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics, Stanford University | Director, Stanford Intelligent Systems Laboratory (SISL) | Associate Director, Stanford HAI
H.R. McMaster
Fouad and Michelle Ajami Senior Fellow, Hoover Institution
Jacquelyn Schneider
Hargrove Hoover Fellow, Hoover Institution

Latest News

Policy Publications

AI and Geopolitics | Stanford HAI

HAI-Hoover TPA Working Group on AI and Geopolitics

About

The Working Group on AI and Geopolitics is a multidisciplinary group of Stanford faculty and scholars that work together to advance research focused on issues at the intersection of AI and geopolitics. Co-sponsored by HAI and the Hoover Institution’s Technology Policy Accelerator (TPA), and co-chaired by political scientist Amy Zegart and computer scientist Chris Manning, the group brings together political scientists and national security experts versed in the geopolitics of AI alongside computer scientists with technical knowledge of the cutting edge of AI development.


By funding novel research and convening timely discussions, the group aims to expand the evidence base and develop orienting principles about the most important geopolitical policy challenges impacted by AI. To date, the group has awarded $300,000 in funding to Stanford research teams examining AI’s role in nuclear proliferation, U.S.-China competition, and political influence.

Steering Committee

View All

Skip to content
  • About

    • About
    • People
    • Get Involved with HAI
    • Support HAI
    • Subscribe to Email
  • Research

    • Research
    • Research Programs
    • Grants
    • Marlowe (opens in new tab)
    • Student Affinity Groups
    • Centers & Labs
    • Research Publications
    • Research Partners
  • Education

    • Education
    • Executive and Professional Education
    • Government and Policymakers
    • K-12
    • Stanford Students
  • Policy

    • Policy
    • Policy Publications
    • Policymaker Education
    • Student Opportunities
  • AI Index

    • AI Index
    • AI Index Report
    • Global Vibrancy Tool
    • People
  • News
  • Events
  • Industry
  • Centers & Labs

Stay Up To Date

Get the latest news, advances in research, policy work, and education program updates from HAI in your inbox weekly.

Sign Up For Latest News

Navigate
  • About
  • Events
  • AI Glossary
  • Careers
  • Search
Participate
  • Get Involved
  • Support HAI
  • Contact Us

Update: DeepSeek AI and the Great Talent Competition

In April 2025, we analyzed the 223 researchers behind DeepSeek's first five papers and found that the company's talent ran deeper than the prevailing story allowed.
news

New Stanford Grants Tackle AI's Impact on Global Security and Geopolitics

Nikki Goth Itoi
DemocracyInternational Affairs, International Security, International DevelopmentRegulation, Policy, GovernanceAug 10

Stanford HAI and the Hoover Institution’s Technology Policy Accelerator back projects examining AI's role in detecting nuclear proliferation, U.S.-China competition, and political influence.

news
illustration showing world and digital lines and binary code

AI Sovereignty’s Definitional Dilemma

Juan N. Pava, Caroline Meinhardt, Elena Cryst, James Landay
Government, Public AdministrationRegulation, Policy, GovernanceInternational Affairs, International Security, International DevelopmentFeb 17

Governments worldwide are racing to control their AI futures, but unclear definitions hinder real policy progress.

issue brief

The World Model and Spatial Intelligence Era: Governing AI Beyond Language

Daniel Zhang
Russell Wald headshot
Ehsan Adeli
headshot
+5
Daniel Zhang
Foundation ModelsRegulation, Policy, GovernanceIndustry, InnovationSpatial IntelligenceQuick ReadJul 27

This brief highlights the emergence of world models and outlines a first-of-its-kind governance and policy agenda for the technology.

The Commercial Landscape of AI Sovereignty Offerings
Caroline Meinhardt, Juan N. Pava, Caroline Yee, James Landay
Deep DiveJul 15
issue brief

This brief surveys the commercial AI sovereignty market and argues that policymakers should focus on calibrating interdependence rather than pursuing full self-sufficiency.

Beyond DeepSeek: China's Diverse Open-Weight AI Ecosystem and Its Policy Implications
Caroline Meinhardt, Sabina Nong, Graham Webster, Tatsunori Hashimoto, Christopher Manning
Deep DiveDec 16
issue brief

Almost one year after the “DeepSeek moment,” this brief analyzes China’s diverse open-model ecosystem and examines the policy implications of their widespread global diffusion.

Policy Implications of DeepSeek AI’s Talent Base
Amy Zegart, Emerson Johnston
Quick ReadMay 06
policy brief

This brief presents an analysis of Chinese AI startup DeepSeek’s talent base and calls for U.S. policymakers to reinvest in competing to attract and retain global AI talent.

Escalation Risks from LLMs in Military and Diplomatic Contexts
Juan-Pablo Rivera, Gabriel Mukobi, Anka Reuel, Max Lamparth, Chandler Smith, Jacquelyn Schneider
Quick ReadMay 02
policy brief

This brief presents the results of a wargame simulation that aims to evaluate the escalation risks of large language models (LLMs) in high-stakes military and diplomatic decision-making.