Technological breakthroughs now at the heart of power relations
Since 1945, power was measured by projection capacity, but this paradigm is collapsing. The United States fails to impose its will in Iraq and Afghanistan and struggles to contain Iran, while regional powers and non-state actors hold traditional giants in check. Artificial intelligence, algorithms, data, and semiconductors now redefine the hierarchy of nations, making economic and military hierarchies unstable.
Why it matters: This illustrates the theme of technological disruption as a new axis of geopolitical competition, where power shifts from military projection to control over data and computing capacity.