An inclusive BRICS AI strategy empowering small, medium and micro enterprises

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is rapidly reshaping global economies and geopolitics, influencing global power dynamics with significant implications for the BRICS and BRICS Partner countries in how they approach this economic tipping point (Kubasova and Chepinoga, 2023; Pitukhina et al., 2024; Trabelsi, 2024). These implications drive what many call an AI arms race between the United States of America (USA) and China, which are competing for technological and military dominance (Rokvic, 2024). However, these new systems have the potential to drive innovation and economic growth but are impeded by uneven access. For instance, in December 2024, the USA’s Open AI released a new usage tier costing US0 per month per user, which was coupled with their advanced AI features (OpenAI, n.d.). This exorbitant pricing model excludes much of the developing and emerging world. Furthermore, Open AI CEO Sam Altman described 2025 as the year when AI agents join and transform the workforce (Altman, 2024), significantly disrupting the relationship between labour and capital.