The battle to define AI is really a battle for power

Arab News · Dr. Abdel-Hameed Nawar · 2026-10-29 20:28 UTC

The battle to define AI is really a battle for power

When the 2026 Annual Meetings of the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank Group convened in Bangkok from Oct. 12 to 18, most headlines focused on wars, supply chains, and sovereign debt. But buried in one document, the chair’s statement of the 54th meeting of the International Monetary and Financial Committee, issued on Oct. 17, was what may prove to be a defining moment in the evolving relationship among technology, money, and power.

Before reading that statement, it helps to remember a simple truth about international documents: they are not written to describe reality. They are written to build the framework within which reality will be managed for years to come.

Behind the scenes in Bangkok, a war over terminology played out, and it was never technical. It was political and philosophical.

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