61. Who wins the AI trade war? Economist Karishma Banga joins the Women in AI podcast

AI isn’t just a technology race, it’s a trade policy battleground that will determine who captures value and who falls further behind. The real AI divide isn’t only about access to infrastructure, but about skills, governance, data rules, and the power embedded in digital trade agreements. As countries sign binding commitments on cross-border data flows, source code access, and digital taxation, the long-term development path of emerging economies is being quietly locked in.An economist at King's College London and advisor to the Commonwealth Businesswomen's Network, Karishma Banga argues the UK has a pivotal role: invest in digital infrastructure and skills across Commonwealth nations, take a cautious approach to AI trade provisions, and confront the environmental and fiscal trade-offs of data localisation and digital taxation. Her work bridges macro-level trade negotiations and micro-level labour impacts, asking a sharper question: will AI reinforce global inequality, or can smarter policy turn it into a new engine of inclusive growth?AI is our Business.UKAI is the Trade Association for AI businesses across the UK. Join us, ukai.co