American AI is characterized by a closed and proprietary strategy, which is leading to a decline in its competitiveness. In contrast, China's open-weights AI strategy is gaining traction, positioning its companies as leaders in the global AI landscape.

The evolution of AI in enterprises has shifted focus from model development to infrastructure, particularly following the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022, which provided non-technical executives with direct access to AI capabilities. Economic factors, such as frozen IT budgets in 2023, are influencing how organizations prioritize and implement AI solutions.

Canada's federal government has launched the "AI for All" initiative, positioning itself as the "strategic anchor customer" for domestic AI businesses. Currently, only 12% of Canadian businesses and 8% of small firms utilize AI technologies.

Europe possesses a world-class academic ecosystem, a commitment to human-centric technology, and a single market of over 450 million people. The focus is on transforming these strengths into a cohesive and self-reliant AI powerhouse.

In 2026, many companies are implementing top-down mandates for AI transformation, reminiscent of China's Great Leap Forward in 1958. The original campaign aimed to rapidly industrialize China by producing steel, resulting in widespread famine due to ineffective practices.

Shopify, Duolingo, and Fiverr implement an "AI-first" philosophy that requires employees to prove that AI cannot perform their tasks before receiving resources such as headcount, budget, or tools. This perspective positions AI as a gatekeeper, prompting human workers to justify their roles in relation to AI capabilities.