
Decade Déjà Vu: Are the 2020s the New 1920s?
Political fragility threatens technological booms: Much like the 1920s, the current decade faces the danger of rapid technological advancement (AI) outpacing the stability of political institutions and international cooperation. Fragmentation risks AI potential: Trade barriers and a lack of data-sharing could stifle the scale AI requires to succeed, while a "K-shaped" economy—where only huge companies benefit from AI—could trigger a severe social backlash. Geopolitics is now part of the tech stack: While Western nations struggle to coordinate on data and standards, China gains a strategic advantage in the AI race through its massive unified market and fewer privacy constraints.












