The Paths of Artificial Intelligence Around the World and the Risks for Pacific Island States

Abstract

This paper analyzes the impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on Pacific communities, a “geographical singularity” shaped by isolation and climate vulnerability. Utilizing UNCTAD 2025 data, it exposes the structural asymmetry between tech superpowers and small island nations excluded from global AI governance. The study evaluates three influence models: China’s state-driven expansion, the U.S. market-led approach, and the EU’s regulatory framework (AI Act). While AI presents vital opportunities for telemedicine and environmental resilience, the lack of bargaining power and local expertise risks reducing the region to an experimental hub. The research concludes that service automation is creating an irreversible “algorithmic dependency”, a digital neocolonialism where technological empowerment masks a systematic erosion of sovereignty and political freedom.