A new industrial revolution has begun. Like mechanization or electricity before it, artificial intelligence will touch every aspect of our lives—and will cause significant upheaval in the balance of global power, especially among the AI superpowers: China, the United States, and Europe.

Pol Sarre, an expert in autonomous weapons, takes readers inside the fierce competition to develop and deploy this game-changing technology that will dominate the future. Four Battlegrounds argues that four key elements define this struggle: data, computing power, talent, and institutions.

Data is a vital resource like coal or oil, but it must be collected and refined. Advanced neural computers are the essence of computing power—controlling chip supply chains gives an advantage over opponents. Talent concerns the people: which country attracts the best researchers and the most advanced tech companies? The fourth “battlefield” is perhaps the most critical: the ultimate global AI leader will have institutions that effectively embed AI into their economy, society, and especially their military.

Sarre's narrative is filled with futuristic technology. It explores how AI systems are already discovering new strategies through millions of war simulations, developing combat tactics better than any human, monitoring billions of people using biometric data, and meticulously controlling information with secret algorithms.

He visits China’s “National Team” from top AI companies to show the alarming collaboration between the Chinese government, the private sector, and the surveillance state. He interviews Pentagon leaders and tours the US Department of Defense offices in Silicon Valley, revealing deep tensions between the military and tech giants that control data, chips, and talent.

However, he concludes that these tensions, inherent in our democratic system, create resilience and resistance to empire amid overly powerful technologies. Engaging and immediate, Four Battlegrounds offers a vivid picture of how AI is transforming warfare, global security, and the future of human freedom—and what democracies will need to stay at the top of the global order.

Pages: 496, Dimensions: 16.5x16.5cm