Far from being a mere domestic regulatory adjustment, Executive Order 14409 and its Gold Eagle operational arm have escalated what was already fierce global AI competition and have driven nations around the world to double down on targeted investments, strategic industrial planning and securitized AI deployment. It’s a state-led, whole-of-nation AI strategy focused on indigenous innovation to reduce technological dependence on the West. One of the most dangerous side-effects of the current AI competition is the growing concentration of AI technological power in the hands of a small number of Western tech giants and wealthy developed nations. This widens the global digital divide and exacerbates existing global inequalities.​Third, establish a UN-centered multilateral governance system to enforce global AI norms. The choice is simple: either the world governs AI together, or AI-driven competition further divides the world.