The Rise of AI Sovereignty: Regulation and Authoritarian Imaginaries of Artificial Intelligence

: Recent literature increasingly examines generative AI's role in disinformation and propaganda. However, the motivations driving generative AI development in authoritarian states, manifesting as digital authoritarianism, are less explored. Digital authoritarianism can be considered the capacity of autocrats to rely on digital innovation to achieve their political goals in the rapidly changing information environment (Asmolov, 2024). To theorize the use of generative AI by non-democratic regimes, we should look into how these regimes participate in the social construction of these technologies. This commentary adopts a conceptual framework inspired by the literature on technological imaginaries (Mansell, 2012) to trace the emergence of “AI sovereignty.” AI sovereignty is defined as a “nation’s capability to develop AI using its infrastructure, data, workforce, and business networks” (Strier, 2024). However, interpretations of "AI sovereignty" differ between democratic and authoritarian states, requiring an exploration of its meaning within authoritarian contexts. The growing prominence of AI sovereignty may lead to the balkanization of AI and increased polarization of digital networks, confining people within national generative AI models. To address this, the article analyzes Russian President Vladimir Putin's statements on AI since 2017. The analysis identifies frames contributing to the authoritarian sovereign AI imaginary: 1. AI as a Power and Domination Tool: AI is framed as a technology central to global domination, akin to the nuclear arms race. This includes calls for international AI regulation comparable to nuclear weapons control and emphasizes the state's central role in AI governance. 2. Western AI as a Cultural Threat: Western AI is depicted as a normative threat to traditional Russian values and a tool for promoting xenophobia. It highlights that sovereign AI is crucial to protecting Russia’s spiritual and cultural heritage against Western AI models. 3. AI for State Efficiency: AI is presented as vital for enhancing state efficiency and public service quality. These imaginaries support the development of a national AI doctrine, which establishes the state as the central actor in AI development. This includes legitimizing extensive data collection from citizens to develop sovereign AI models.