This joint briefing addresses one of today’s most pressing governance challenges: how can “Middle Power” states develop digital infrastructure while navigating digital sovereignty imperatives, safeguarding the rights of their citizens and promoting economic growth? The briefing is part of a broader, evidence-based effort by Project Liberty Institute and Global Solutions Initiative to explore how governments can move beyond reactive regulation to proactively shape AI- and data-driven markets.
As a counterbalance to the concentrated economic and political power of Big Tech, this briefing focuses on digital infrastructure that enables individuals to exercise control over data (“data agency”), embeds legal and technical standards for interoperable data and AI systems, and promotes economic inclusion and human flourishing. This briefing underscores that the future of digital infrastructure is more than a technical challenge, it is a governance imperative in an era of uncertain geopolitical tensions.
Governments interviewed: Brazil, Cambodia, Canada, France, Germany, Greece, Indonesia, Japan, Kenya, Mexico, Senegal, and South Africa, Switzerland.
Methodology and Scope: This briefing synthesizes insights from in-depth interviews conducted between July 2025 and February 2026 with senior officials from a dozen Middle Power states responsible for digital infrastructure, digital transformation, telecommunications, and public service delivery. Findings reflect cross-cutting patterns shared by government officials and do not represent the official position of any specific government.
This briefing was released on the occasion of the AI Impact Summit and its findings will directly inform a upcoming report titled Roadmap for the Implementation of Digital Infrastructure, scheduled for publication in March 2026. The roadmap will provide actionable guidance for governments and international organizations seeking to build trustworthy, resilient, and inclusive digital systems for the AI era.
