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How AI is Creating A New World Order with Ian Bremmer

May 5, 2026

AI Summary

5 min read

How AI is Creating A New World Order with Ian Bremmer

The United States no longer wants to be the global policeman, but no other country or group of powers is willing or capable of taking its place. This is what Ian Bremmer, president of Eurasia Group, calls a "G0 world" — an absence of global leadership. And it is arriving at precisely the moment when artificial intelligence is transforming how power works, creating what Bremmer describes as "the most important medium term question" in geopolitics.

The Geopolitical Recession

Bremmer frames the current moment as two simultaneous crises. The first is cyclical: a "geopolitical recession" where the rules of the road no longer match the balance of power. The institutions built after World War II — designed to facilitate globalization and American-led order — are being rejected by the United States itself. Americans no longer believe they benefit from open borders, free trade, or providing military security for allies. Meanwhile, China has not become "much more American" as was assumed.

There are only three ways out of such a recession: reform existing institutions to reflect the new balance of power, create new institutions, or go to war. "We're actually doing all three right now," Bremmer says.

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What you'll learn

  • 1 (00:00) **Opening: The G0 World and the AI Revolution** - Ian Bremmer frames the current moment as a "geopolitical recession" (G0 world) coinciding with a technological revolution, creating unprecedented uncertainty.
  • 2 (07:07) **Defining the G0 World** - Bremmer explains what "G0" means: an absence of global leadership, with the US unwilling and no other country able to fill the gap.
  • 3 (11:08) **Living in a Changing World Order** - What it feels like to be in a G0 world: every country is scrambling to secure its own deals because there is no reliable global architecture.
  • 4 (14:11) **The US-China Competition: Not a New Cold War** - Bremmer argues the popular framing of a US-China cold war is a misnomer; the reality is far more complex.
  • 5 (21:51) **AI Complicates the Geopolitical Dynamic** - How AI intensifies the power shifts and creates new dilemmas for US allies.
  • 6 (27:56) **The Rise of Sovereign AI Companies** - Bremmer explores the scenario where an AI company becomes more powerful than most nations.
  • 7 (33:41) **How Governments Should Bet on AI Companies** - Bremmer advises non-US governments to strategically align with specific American AI companies rather than trying to compete.

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Show Notes

In this episode, I sit down with world-renowned political scientist Ian Bremmer to explore how artificial intelligence could reshape global power.

For decades, world order has been defined by nation-states, the U.S., China, and shifting alliances between countries. But Ian argues we may be overlooking something far more disruptive.

In this conversation, we unpack what AI could mean for geopolitics, the U.S.–China rivalry, and a future where the most powerful actors may no longer just be countries. Ian argues we urgently need to rethink what governance looks like in this new world, and the steps we can take to build it. Ian Bremmer is the president and founder of the world-leading political risk research and consulting firm, Eurasia Group. You can catch Ian’s weekly public television show GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, where he breaks down the world's biggest geopolitical stories with the leaders and thinkers shaping them.

Want more Ian Bremmer? Catch his weekly public television show GZERO World with Ian Bremmer, where he breaks down the world's biggest geopolitical stories with the leaders and thinkers shaping them. And if you prefer your global politics with a side of satire, check out Puppet Regime — featuring world leaders as puppets. Yes, really. Follow Ian and stay up to date: Ian’s LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ianbremmer Ian’s X: https://x.com/ianbremmer Ian’s Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ianbremmer/ Ian’s TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@ian.bremmer Ian’s YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@Ian_Bremmer Ian’s Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/ianbremmer GZERO World & Puppet Regime: https://www.gzeromedia.com/video/gzero-world-with-ian-bremmer/ GZERO Media TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@gzeromedia Puppet Regime Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/realpuppetregime/


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