Choose a side: The US demand in the struggle for control over artificial intelligence
China is strengthening its power in the field of artificial intelligence, while the US is working to prevent it from accessing critical resources. 6G networks are expected to be deployed only by 2030, but are already occupying regulators. And the historical turning point in Japan's security approach.
The author is an expert on geopolitics and Israel-US relations at the Bank Hapoalim Chamber of Commerce. About the "Global View" section: "Global View" is a review distributed to Bank Hapoalim clients and will be published in Globes from time to time.
A dramatic report suggests that Iran has blocked an American plan for military intervention in Syria against Hezbollah in Lebanon. According to the report, Tehran sent a threatening message to Damascus that any action against the organization would lead to a broad regional confrontation. The American plan was intended to damage Hezbollah's arrays in the Beqaa Valley and impose new security arrangements. Iran made it clear that in response, it would exert pressure at strategic points in Syria, including border areas, Homs, and the vicinity of Aleppo. In the regional arena, a deep split has been revealed between the various players in the area. The UAE is emerging as a supporter of funding the American move, while Iraq and Qatar oppose it. Saudi Arabia is maintaining extreme caution given the risks of broad escalation in the Middle East. The report illustrates Tehran's deep influence in Syria and its determination to prevent harm to Hezbollah.
1. The countries of the world will not be able to remain neutral in the struggle between China and the US
In recent weeks, the field of artificial intelligence has become the main arena of the geostrategic struggle between the United States and China. According to reports based on internal documents of the US State Department, Washington is preparing to convey an unequivocal demand to about 35 countries that signed the AI Opportunity Declaration. The main message is that there is no possibility of sitting on the fence, and the countries will be required to choose whether they align with the American cooperation framework or join Beijing's competing initiatives. The move is intended to prevent China from accessing critical resources, advanced chips, and cloud infrastructures that could give it a military and economic advantage.
On the other hand, last July, China launched a new international organization for cooperation in artificial intelligence that promotes an open-source model, with the aim of challenging American influence in emerging markets. Kazakhstan, which serves as a major source of critical minerals, is one of the most prominent that finds itself caught in both networks simultaneously, which led to the unequivocal American demand to end the hedging policy. For policymakers and technology companies, this means the end of the era of technological neutrality. While the powers are pressing their partners to commit to a uniform system of standards, many countries are required to consider their steps carefully so as not to get caught up in a broader economic war.
2. On the way to a regulatory struggle: the future 6G networks
While the deployment of 6G networks is planned for 2030, the discussions about their technological and regulatory nature are already at the center of the industry's attention. In recent weeks, estimates have been published showing the progress of ISAC (Integrated Sensing and Communication) technology, which allows cellular radio waves to act as a kind of large-scale radar system. These capabilities are designed to allow the network to detect not only communication data, but also movement, location, and even sensitive physiological data such as pulse and breathing rate of humans within range of the antennas, even without a mobile phone.
The potential of this technology in smart cities, autonomous transport, and emergency management is accompanied by deep concerns about a fatal blow to public privacy. Consequently, international bodies such as the European Telecommunications Standards Institute (ETSI) have begun to define a series of security and standardization requirements to force developers to implement privacy protection mechanisms already in the early planning stages. The deep meaning of this move is that the technology is moving from being a "data pipe" to a tool that "thinks" and analyzes the human environment. New studies emphasize that if we do not implement the principles of "Privacy by Design" already now, the antennas around us could become a tool for mass surveillance without supervision.
3. The end of the pacifism era: Japan moves from defense to offense
At the end of July 2026, the Japanese destroyer JS Chokai successfully conducted the first live test of a Tomahawk cruise missile in the Pacific Ocean, in coordination with the US Navy. This event marks a historical turning point: for the first time since World War II, a Japanese vessel is launching a long-range weapon reaching a distance exceeding 1,600 kilometers, thereby realizing the country's new counter-strike capability doctrine. The move comes against the background of a deep process of shedding Article 9 of the Japanese Constitution, which for decades limited the country to defensive actions only.
The Japanese government is promoting a strategy of active deterrence, and now directly links its national security to stability in the Taiwan Strait, with a clear signal that in the event of a confrontation in the region, Tokyo will join forces and prepare for operational involvement. Alongside this, the Japanese government is updating its defense export policy with the aim of establishing a stronger and more independent defense industry. The deep meaning of the move is that Japan is moving from a state of passive defense to building offensive deterrence power in the Indo-Pacific region. With an official order of about 400 Tomahawk missiles expected to be delivered by 2028, Tokyo is dramatically changing the strategic balance of power in Asia and changing the rules of the game in the face of regional threats.
