In an era defined by geopolitical realignment, technology has become both a catalyst for progress and a battlefield for influence. Drawing on firsthand experience in industrial technology and international collaboration, Pu Ma examines how competition drives progress but also deepens fragmentation and argues that only through trust and co-governance can technology truly serve humanity.
We are not just witnessing a geopolitical shift—we’re embedded in it：a profound transition from a unipolar world, historically dominated by a single superpower, to a multipolar landscape shaped by multiple global players—including the U.S., China, the EU, India, and Russia. This geopolitical realignment is not just transforming diplomacy and trade - it is fundamentally altering the development, governance, and diffusion of technology.
In this new order, technology has become more than a driver of growth; it is a strategic instrument of influence and national power. The resulting dynamics have both accelerated innovation and complicated global cooperation.
For someone like me, working at the intersection of industrial technology, this shift is not just something I read in headlines. It's something I navigate in my daily work. I don’t just observe these trends—I respond to them. Whether it's adapting our messaging for different policy environments or negotiating joint communication with partners, these shifts directly shape my daily work.
In a multipolar world, technological advancement is fueled by geopolitical competition. Nations race to secure supremacy in critical domains—from artificial intelligence and semiconductors to renewable energy systems and quantum computing. This rivalry has encouraged massive R&D investments and the rise of indigenous innovation ecosystems.
However, this competitive momentum also leads to fragmentation. “AI nationalism,” for instance, reflects the growing trend of governments enforcing local control over data, infrastructure, and algorithms. This splintering of the global tech landscape undermines interoperability, slows standardization, and increases the risk of duplicated efforts and incompatible systems.
Generative AI (GenAI), a key driver in Industry 5.0 paradigms, now operates within this fractured environment. While designed to support human-centric, sustainable development, GenAI is increasingly seen as a lever of strategic advantage. What’s ironic is that GenAI, often marketed as universally accessible, is now mostly advancing in just a few countries and platforms. Unequal access to compute power, foundational models, and digital infrastructure has further widened the innovation gap between countries, intensifying debates around digital sovereignty: who controls technology, and who benefits?
In this context, powerful multinational corporations—often dubbed "techno-oligarchs"—have gained disproportionate influence. In some domains, their control over platform standards, and data ecosystems rivals or even surpasses those of states. This raises serious questions about accountability, ethical governance, and the risks of profit-driven technological evolution that sidelines the public interest.
While global governance struggles to keep up, companies like Meta, OpenAI, and Nvidia are stepping into the vacuum—establishing de facto rules for how billions interact with technology each day.
Traditional multilateral institutions like the UN, WTO, and ITU were not built for a fragmented, fast-moving tech world. As multipolar tensions rise, the legitimacy and agility of these institutions are being tested. Without reform, they risk irrelevance in addressing transnational issues such as cybersecurity, AI ethics, cross-border data flow, and equitable access to innovation.
Revitalizing these institutions requires not only technological modernization but also greater inclusivity, giving emerging economies a genuine voice in setting the rules that will define the next technological era.
As head of PR and communications for a Chinese industrial technology company specializing in intelligent control systems and AI solutions, I have experienced firsthand how narrative coherence and trust are foundational to global cooperation. Across projects with global partners, one insight remains clear: technology alone cannot drive progress—trust does.
Technology can unite—creating shared ecosystems for clean energy, smart manufacturing, and digital inclusion. But trust is fragile. Without shared narratives and transparent dialogue, cooperation breaks down.
Unified standards matter. ESG messaging, data governance, and AI ethics need to be harmonized globally, or risk being weaponized for political ends.
We need more than technological innovation—we need institutional and cultural innovation that helps rebuild consensus across divides.
In sum, a multipolar world reshapes technological advancement in complex, often contradictory ways:
It accelerates innovation through geopolitical competition.
It fragments global cooperation through decoupling and techno-nationalism.
It shifts power to corporate actors, raising new governance dilemmas.
It pressures institutions to adapt or become obsolete.
It amplifies the importance of trust, narrative, and cross-cultural communication.
In this fragmented but interdependent world, co-governance isn’t just a political aspiration—it is the only way innovation remains resilient, inclusive, and ethically grounded. Innovation must not be dictated by a powerful few but shaped by the collective wisdom of many. Where norms and technologies evolve together, informed by diverse global perspectives. Where power is balanced not only by competition, but by shared responsibility.
As someone navigating this complexity every day, I’ve learned that no technology succeeds without trust, trust is not a byproduct, it’s the foundation. And trust must be built together.
At the end of the day, technology reflects the values we embed in it. If we want innovation to serve people—not power—we must build a global dialogue that keeps trust at the center.
Pu Ma is part of the BGG Young Voices Cohort of 2025. He serves as Brand & Public Relations Director at a Chinese listed technology company, advancing communication strategies for industrial AI and next-generation technology. He has over ten years ofexperience in branding and communications across high-tech industries, specializingin industrial AI, intelligent manufacturing, and global technology strategy. Currently pursuing his MBA at Renmin University of China, he focuses on bridging industrial innovation with international dialogue on sustainable and digital transformation.
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