Johannes Himmelreich

The Cairo Review of Global Affairs, 2025

Abstract

This essay examines how U.S. export controls on artificial intelligence infrastructure constitute a form of technological gatekeeping with significant equity implications. The author identifies three primary “chokepoints” (specialized hardware, foundation models, and API access) that concentrate AI capabilities among wealthy nations and their allies. Drawing on political philosophy, the work argues that such restrictions violate principles of fair trade participation, constitute coercive economic practices, and ignore resource interdependencies in an interconnected global economy. While acknowledging legitimate security concerns, the analysis contends that these controls may prove counterproductive and that regional cooperation and restrained export policies better serve long-term international stability than technological dominance through artificial scarcity.