Beyond Bipolarity: How Technology Is Rewriting Global Power

By Mohamad Hammoud

Lebanon – In the age of artificial intelligence and digital empires, nations no longer hold a monopoly on power — technology does.

In the twentieth century, power was defined by steel, oil and nuclear weapons. The world revolved around two superpowers — the United States and the Soviet Union — whose ideological and military competition shaped every corner of the globe. But as Foreign Affairs reported, the twenty-first century will not be bipolar. The digital revolution has fractured old hierarchies and given rise to what political scientist Ian Bremmer calls “technopolarity” — a world where power extends not only to states but also to those who control technology, data, and artificial intelligence (AI).

When the Soviet Union collapsed, the United States briefly stood alone in what Foreign Policy called a “unipolar moment.” That era has ended. Rather than returning to a simple US–China rivalry, the world is splintering into multiple, interconnected centers of power. Economic strength, digital infrastructure, and technological capability now define influence more than territorial control. The logic of geopolitics has shifted from a battle for land and resources to a race for algorithms and code.

The Rise of Technopolarity

The most profound change is the emergence of technology companies as geopolitical actors. Foreign Affairs explained that these firms now wield authority once reserved for national governments. By controlling the infrastructure of modern life—such as cloud services, digital communication, and AI models—companies like Microsoft, Google, and Tencent significantly influence global politics and economies. Bremmer argues that “the new superpowers are not countries but platforms.” These private entities have the unprecedented capacity to influence elections, steer conflicts, and impact national security.

In this environment, connectivity is control. The power to harvest massive data, train complex AI models, and deploy cyber tools creates new frontiers of dominance. Today’s strategic assets are no longer oil fields; they are fiber-optic networks, satellite constellations, and microchip supply chains. These digital resources are as vital to a nation’s security and economy as energy once was.

The Defining Conflict: US–China Chip War

Nothing illustrates this new struggle better than the escalating US–China technology war, often referred to as the “chip war.” This conflict is not fought with tanks but with patents, supply chains, and software ingenuity. The Economist reported that Washington’s restrictions on semiconductor exports to China aim to preserve America’s lead in advanced computing—the essential chips for AI, quantum research, and modern weaponry. Beijing has responded by investing billions in domestic production, viewing technological independence as a matter of national survival.

The victor in this contest will not only determine future global prosperity but also the future of military and digital supremacy. As Reuters observed, this “chip war” has become the defining front of twenty-first-century geopolitics — one where code, not colonies, determines supremacy.

Private Power, Public Consequences

The growing dominance of private tech firms has blurred the line between corporate and national power. When Elon Musk’s Starlink restricted Ukrainian access to satellite internet during key military operations, it exposed a new reality — private actors can now decide the fate of nations. Foreign Policy warned that “unelected executives are making strategic decisions once reserved for generals and presidents.” This diffusion of power creates what Bremmer calls a “G-Zero world” — a fragmented order without a single or dual hegemon.

The United States may still lead in innovation, but China’s scale, Europe’s regulatory reach, and the Gulf’s digital investments all represent emerging poles of influence. Even middle powers like India and South Korea are asserting themselves through control of chips, software, and telecommunications.

The New Logic of Power

Traditional military strength remains essential, but as Foreign Affairs cautioned, “the weapons of tomorrow will be made of code.” Cyberattacks, AI warfare, and digital espionage now determine strategic outcomes. A virus can cripple a power grid as effectively as a missile, and information manipulation can destabilize societies more efficiently than armies.

For Washington, the challenge is structural: its ability to project power and maintain security increasingly depends on alliances with corporations that transcend borders. Analysts warn that the United States cannot dominate a world it no longer controls technologically. Dominance in the 20th century’s industrial economy is no guarantee of leadership in the digital one.

A Fragmented Future

The emerging world order is neither bipolar nor unipolar — it is multipolar, multidimensional, and unpredictable. Foreign Affairs concluded that “the question is no longer who rules the world, but who runs the code that rules it.” Power now flows through networks rather than empires, through data centers rather than military bases.

Technology has democratized power, but it has also destabilized it. The nations that adapt — by building secure digital systems, implementing ethical AI governance, and establishing cooperative technology standards — will define the next century. Those clinging to outdated models of dominance will fade into irrelevance.

The Cold War ended with walls and weapons. The subsequent global struggle will be fought through firewalls and algorithms. The superpowers of tomorrow may not be countries at all, but rather those who master the digital bloodstream of the modern world.