Introduction

Artificial intelligence is rapidly expanding, with its influence reaching into several areas of society. AI is now shaping the way companies operate, how artists create, and how countries protect themselves. These changes are occurring simultaneously and moving faster than many existing rules or structures can handle. As AI spreads across borders and sectors, a global response becomes more important. This response does not necessarily need to restrict innovation but should help guide responsible growth and reduce the risks that come from inequitable access, unclear standards, and rapid corporate developments.

Risks of the Growing Digital Divide

Recently, large companies have started using AI in everyday apps. OpenAI added new features that connect ChatGPT with tools like Canva and Spotify. This lets people complete several tasks in one place. AI is becoming integrated into common tools rather than being an optional add-on. Intuit also signed an agreement to use OpenAI’s models in TurboTax, QuickBooks, and Credit Karma. Through this, AI models now help with budgeting and financial advice.

These developments increase productivity but also raise concerns. Only a few companies, like Google and OpenAI, control the world’s most powerful AI models. This creates a risk of monopoly since so much power sits with a small group of companies. Their models are also closed-source, meaning the public cannot see how they work. This lack of transparency gives firms even more control and makes it challenging to check for mistakes or bias. This can also lead to safety and privacy concerns. If AI is built into financial tools, errors could affect sensitive, personal data. Additionally, smaller companies and countries may not be able to keep up with the speed of AI development, widening the global divide.

Concerns about power and oversight can also affect creative work. Artists are feeling the impact of AI’s rapid growth. In November 2025, Warner Music Group settled a copyright dispute with the platform Udio. Udio is an AI-powered music generation platform that allegedly trained on copyrighted music without permission and used that database to generate new songs based on user prompts. Around the same time, Paul McCartney of the Beatles and other artists released a silent protest track to call attention to systems that use creative work without permission.

AI can support creative works, but it also threatens artists’ rights and income. Many artists fear that their voices or writing can be copied by large-language models (LLMs). Some also worry that their work may be used in training datasets without consent, since much of it is online and easy to access. If AI becomes the main tool behind music, human creativity may lose value as corporations prioritize cost and speed over originality.

Creating a global fund for AI would help make sure that AI technology is shared with everyone, not just a few big corporations. It would provide the money and tools that smaller countries need to build their own AI systems that fit their own languages and laws. By supporting open and transparent technology, the fund would help ensure that AI is safe, fair, and helpful for all people.

Implementation of AI in National Security

AI is also playing a role in national security strategies. Some countries are now using AI tools for defense and safety. For example, Lithuania has started using AI systems for cyber defense and threat detection. This growth was supported by a large investment in drone imaging from Luna Robotics. Other smaller countries are testing AI for border control and military planning. These developments highlight how AI security is spreading rapidly.

AI use has also expanded on the battlefield. In Ukraine, AI has helped with guiding drones, tracking enemy movements, and analyzing images from the front lines. Many experts describe the war with Russia as a way to test AI systems, as the tools are updated and deployed in real time. The conflict has also pushed countries into an “AI arms race,” where each side attempts to develop faster and more advanced AI tools for the battlefield. This shows how AI is shaping modern warfare, even for states with limited resources.

While these tools can help states with safety, they may bring new risks if development speed is the main priority. AI systems can misidentify threats, such as confusing civilians or obstructions with enemy targets, or they can make biased predictions. Currently, smaller states often have to rely on technology from just a few powerful countries or corporations. This makes them dependent on others for their own security.

A Global Fund would change this by giving smaller states the money and training to build their own “sovereign” AI. Instead of everyone building different, secret systems, the fund could support shared safety standards. This would make sure that AI used for defense is transparent, follows international laws, and is less likely to make deadly mistakes. It would allow all states to access high-quality, audited AI tools for border control and cyber defense. When every country has the tools to defend itself safely and transparently, the pressure of an arms race decreases.

Conclusion

Recent changes in corporate partnerships, creative industries, and national security systems show how fast AI is reshaping the world. As these shifts continue, the implementation of a global fund for AI raises both opportunities and concerns. Such a fund could expand access, strengthen safeguards, and support countries and communities that lack resources. On the other hand, a fund may concentrate decision-making power and increase dependence on major tech firms. The future of AI depends on how the world chooses to manage AI developments.

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