Public & Private Partnerships Key to Maximizing Sovereign AI Opportunities

Like the acceleration of AI adoption in the enterprise market, adoption of AI by nations continues to evolve in innovative ways.

Like enterprises around the world, nations and governments are thinking through the best way to build AI infrastructure and support their industrial base to ensure global competitiveness, leadership and better quality of life for citizens. As a result, the concept of Sovereign AI is gaining significant traction.

In my recent conversations with customers across Europe, Asia and beyond, it’s becoming clear that the key to unlocking the full potential of Sovereign AI lies not only in national investment, but in fostering deep, strategic partnerships between the public and private sectors.

What is Sovereign AI?

Sovereign AI refers to a nation’s effort to develop and produce Artificial Intelligence using its own infrastructure and data.

Dell has supported Sovereign AI objectives in various countries, providing counsel and end-to-end solutions, from data center technology to PCs, AI frameworks and services. Through our work in the UK with Project Dawn, Atos in France, and Siam AI in Thailand, we’re helping governments and organizations build AI infrastructure supporting the needs of both the public and private sectors. This AI infrastructure—whether on-premises, multicloud, or at the edge—is essential for driving AI-powered solutions across all segments of industry and government.

Three Models of Sovereign AI

Through my interactions with governments around the globe, I’m seeing Sovereign AI deployed in three nuanced models that are not necessarily mutually exclusive. The most successful AI deployments, regardless of model, enable data access, prioritize skills development and sustainable energy strategies, while tailoring the models to specific regional needs.

  1. Government for Government
    In this model, the government builds and controls national AI infrastructure, primarily using country-specific data to develop proprietary models exclusively for governmental use. This focus often spans national security, critical infrastructure protection and citizen services.
  2. Government for Industry
    Here, the government invests in infrastructure that serves both public and private industry sectors. The UK’s Project Dawn, which offers large-scale computational power for both government and industrial AI initiatives, is a good example, and enables academic research in sectors including energy and healthcare.
  3. Government with Industry
    This collaborative model sees the government working alongside industry to co-create AI strategies. For example, in Singapore this public-private collaboration has been instrumental in developing a thriving AI ecosystem through the government actively engaging private sector leaders to create the national AI framework.

The Power of Public and Private Partnerships

Of these three models, I’m most excited about “Government with Industry.” I believe this can yield the greatest return and help accelerate the adoption and promise of AI. While governments provide the vision, and policy frameworks to AI initiatives, the private sector brings the necessary expertise, innovation and scalability to ensure long-term success.

Nations like Singapore, Canada, UK, and Australia, are making significant strides by designing and developing sovereign AI ecosystems tailored to their unique needs and leveraging private sector expertise to drive growth. Europe is similarly investing in AI supercomputers and advancing a digital sovereignty framework to ensure AI development is open, ethical and transparent.

Rather than building infrastructure in isolation, the Singaporean government is collaborating with 100 private sector companies to co-design national AI strategies. This ensures the country leads innovation while meeting industrial needs. By enabling private enterprises to drive innovation and scale, the government ensures its AI ecosystem can adapt quickly to industry’s evolving needs.

By harnessing private industry expertise and focusing on the AI ecosystem holistically, nations employing a “Government with Industry” approach drive innovation and scalability with expanded AI infrastructure ecosystems. With this approach, strategic funding and open innovation frameworks enable AI sovereignty on a globally integrated scale transcending geographical boundaries.

A Vision for the Future of Sovereign AI

Strategic investment in AI-enabled infrastructure can future-proof economies, attract international investments and revitalize industries.

While major economies lead in AI, it is equally important for developing nations to invest in digital infrastructure to avoid being left behind. The G7 emphasizes the need for significant investment to close the AI divide, especially in critical sectors like healthcare, agriculture and education. Strategic public-private partnerships are essential for this global AI ecosystem, ensuring that no nation is left out of the AI revolution.

At Dell, we believe Sovereign AI’s full potential lies in the strategic collaboration between governments, industries and academic institutions. This holistic, ecosystem-driven approach is critical for driving innovation, securing economic leadership and empowering nations to positively shape their digital futures.

About the Author: John Roese

John Roese is Global Chief Technology Officer and Chief AI Officer at Dell Technologies. He is responsible for establishing the company’s future-looking technology strategy and accelerating AI adoption for Dell and its customers. He fosters a culture of innovation keeping Dell at the forefront of the industry while anticipating customers’ technology needs before they arise. From multicloud to AI, 5G, edge, data management and security, John and his CTO team are responsible for navigating the latest technology inflection points. As Chief AI Officer, John is focused on accelerating AI-driven outcomes and scaling generative AI initiatives that lead to human progress.