Understanding today's geopolitical landscape requires looking beyond traditional measures of power like military strength and trade. The rise of artificial intelligence (AI) has introduced a new dimension of influence: control over information. Governments and technology companies increasingly use algorithms to shape what people see online, which voices gain attention, and how events are interpreted. As a result, power in the modern world is tied more to control over data and technology.
WHY DATA MATTERS MORE THAN EVER: As AI transforms the global economy, Bangladesh faces a critical question: will it merely generate data for others to profit from or build the laws and institutions needed to protect and benefit from its future? When we hear the word 'resource', we usually think of oil, gas, minerals, or agricultural products. Yet today, one of the most valuable resources is far less visible: data. Every online search, digital payment, social media interaction, GPS location, and mobile app generates information. This fuels the artificial intelligence systems shaping modern economies. Companies and countries that control data gain unprecedented economic and technological advantages. This became clear in 2025, when Kenya's High Court ordered Worldcoin to delete biometric data collected from its citizens. It declared that even in the age of artificial intelligence, a country's most sensitive data cannot be treated as a free resource for others to collect, store, and profit from. For Bangladesh, where digital services are expanding rapidly and artificial intelligence is becoming part of everyday life, the Kenyan decision offers an important warning: countries that fail to protect their data may lose control over one of their most valuable assets.
DIGITAL GROWTH WITHOUT DIGITAL CONTROL: Bangladesh has undergone extraordinary digital expansion over the past decade. Mobile financial services are now commonplace. Government services are increasingly digitised. Internet penetration continues to grow. Millions of citizens interact with digital platforms daily. This success generates enormous amounts of data. Yet an uncomfortable question remains: who benefits? Much of the digital infrastructure used by Bangladeshis is owned, operated, or controlled by entities beyond the country's borders. The cloud services that store information, the platforms that mediate communications, and the AI systems shaping online experiences are often developed elsewhere. This does not mean foreign technology is inherently problematic. On the contrary, global digital platforms have created significant benefits. They have lowered communication barriers, expanded access to information, and enabled economic opportunities unimaginable a generation ago. The challenge is whether countries like Bangladesh can participate in the digital economy without becoming permanently dependent on external systems for its most valuable parts. Recent efforts to strengthen data governance are important steps forward. Yet researchers studying Bangladesh's emerging data protection framework have identified persistent concerns about enforcement, regulatory independence, and the practical challenges of protecting citizens' data within complex digital ecosystems. A country can have ambitious legislation on paper but still lack the institutional resources to ensure compliance. That is why Bangladesh's challenge extends beyond privacy regulation. The country also needs a long-term strategy for building domestic digital capacity. Protecting data is only one side of the equation. The other is creating the ability to generate value from that data within the country. This does not mean Bangladesh should pursue digital isolation. It should remain open to innovation, investment, and international partnerships while ensuring citizens' rights, national interests, and long-term development goals are protected.
REALISING DATA SOVEREIGNTY & MAXIMISING DIGITAL VALUE: First, Bangladesh needs to continue strengthening its data protection regime and invest in the institutions responsible for enforcing it. Citizens must have confidence that their personal information is protected not only by law but by credible oversight. Second, the country should invest more aggressively in domestic digital capacity. Universities, research centres, startups, and technology entrepreneurs need support if Bangladesh hopes to participate meaningfully in the AI economy rather than merely consume technologies developed elsewhere. Third, policymakers requires treat data governance as part of a broader development strategy. Discussions about AI and digital infrastructure should not be confined to technical experts. They belong in conversations about economic growth, education, innovation, and national competitiveness. The debate over data sovereignty is sometimes portrayed as a niche concern for lawyers and technology specialists.
Kenya's Worldcoin decision offered a glimpse of what that future might look like. It showed that developing countries are not powerless participants in the digital economy. They can establish rules, defend citizens' rights, and assert control over critical digital resources. The lesson is that waiting is no longer an option. The defining development question of the AI era may not be who generates the most data, but who captures the value it creates. Bangladesh has embraced digital transformation. The next challenge is ensuring that the benefits of that transformation remain in the hands of its people. In the age of artificial intelligence, sovereignty is no longer measured only by borders and territory. It is increasingly measured by those who control the data, institutions, and technologies that shape everyday life.
The writer is an undergraduate student of International Relations at University of Dhaka.
nurtazxuddin@gmail.com