Is “tech sovereignty” BS? I’m very skeptical of calls for “tech sovereignty”. It feels like tech surrender or some sort of cleverly marketed demand for protectionism, or worse an eventual bail out. Is it not the case that a set of Western tech companies, mostly in AI who’ve raised hundreds of billions, can no longer compete on the global stage and now they and their investors want government protection from the free market? Soviet-era car companies like Lada enjoyed “tech sovereignty”. In the long run, Soviet “tech sovereignty” proved a disaster. Long before the French government championed Mistral, they championed Minitel - an early French version of the web. Minitel initially benefitted from “tech sovereignty”, but then all but collapsed. Minitel is a cautionary tale of the perils of the type of tech sovereignty Mistral and others now demand.   It’s perhaps understandable that in recent months some European and US tech companies have been lobbying their governments to be treated like Soviet-era Lada cars. These Western tech companies – in particular those in AI, robotics and cars – are being comprehensively outcompeted by Chinese tech companies. They simply can’t compete with the technologically superior and far cheaper Chinese cars, robots and AI models.  Western tech companies, faced with the prospect of being outcompeted, appear to have decided to wave the white flag. Logically, perhaps, they are attempting to lobby Western governments to abandon the free market - not for everyone of course - but just for them. To protect them and their investors, just as Lada was protected by the Soviets from the ingenuity of Toyota, Volkswagen and Ford.  Cynically, perhaps, they’re pitching their demand for protectionism as a form of patriotism. It’s probably less embarrassing - and likely a more effective lobbying tactic - than just telling the truth.  The truth is that Chinese companies have created better, cheaper technology across several sectors. Some Western companies unable to compete are now logically lobbying to ban competitors under the banner of “tech sovereignty”. If successful they will force Western consumers and businesses to buy their inferior technology at inflated prices.  The advocates of “tech sovereignty” may, in the short run, save their businesses and return to their investors a fortune. But if the history of “tech sovereignty” holds then the cost in the long run of this selective bailout of some companies will be severe. Western businesses and consumers will pay the price. Speaking of the history of tech sovereignty, is it not somewhat concerning that Joseph Stalin was the 20th century’s most notable proponent of tech sovereignty? In 1926, exactly 100 years ago, in “a report on the plan of work of the Political Bureau and plenum of the Central Committee” Stalin laid out his plan. He explained that without protectionism “there can be no question of ensuring the economic independence of our country”. Stalin ushered in a half century of Soviet “tech sovereignty”, known as autarky. It led to the eventual collapse of the Soviet Union.  In China, Mao initially embraced Stalin’s ideas of “tech sovereignty”. But in 1978, under Deng, China abandoned “tech sovereignty”, opened up and has benefitted ever since.  Because of its “opening up”, China’s cities are now awash with, as just one example, Western storefronts: McDonalds, Nike, LVMH, Starbucks. Western companies made, and still make, trillions. For several decades Stalin’s policies of autarky or “tech sovereignty” appeared dead. Until, that is, some uncompetitive Western tech companies and their investors decided to resurrect the corpse of Joseph Stalin, and dress up his damaged ideas in shiny new clothes. So I’m sorry, but I’m sceptical of “tech Stalinism". (Oh sorry, I meant “tech sovereignty”). And I think we all should be.

AI is going to create millions of new game creators. So @BrendanStock @gubmanic @mbleyleben and I have been cooking up something to help them succeed

Zuckerberg (@finkd) showed up with a keg of Guinness from Dublin for the Cheeky Pint.

Estonian foreign minister backs Helsinki-Tallinn tunnel plans Building the #FinestFuture in the #FinEstBayArea #together yle.fi/a/74-20240274

Just took one of the shortest flights between capitals, from Tallinn to Helsinki. 🇪🇪🇫🇮 Perhaps one day we’ll make the trip through a tunnel instead. Looking forward to discussing that and much more here today.