The USA is pushing its AI supremacy under the motto «Winning the AI Race». The global race for technological AI leadership is not without consequences for Swiss companies. The question is: how well do companies protect what will shape their future?

Between leadership and vulnerability

In July 2025, the US government presented its AI strategy. A document that is more than just an economic policy program: it is the blueprint for a new global power structure. In a nutshell, „Winning the AI Race“ means: deregulate, invest, dominate. Innovation is no longer seen as an entrepreneurial goal, but as a geopolitical instrument. State-coordinated data centers, export offensives, national AI systems; all of this is intended to bring the USA to the forefront of technology. However, it is not only state institutions and companies that are investing in AI growth: cyber criminals are also enriching their business model with AI. Only without rules and with full loss of attack.

What does this development mean for companies that cannot escape this pace and logic, but have to operate under completely different conditions?

Efficiency meets risk: AI as a safety factor

AI opens up enormous efficiency gains for every company. But it is precisely the new risks that need to be considered. AI generates language, automates processes, makes decisions and operates deep in sensitive zones: in customer dialog, in proprietary data sets, in security-critical networks. The more AI is integrated into business models, the more vulnerable structures that were previously considered secure become. This means that in a world in which deepfakes, adaptive malware and synthetic identities are part of the standard repertoire of attackers, traditional protection mechanisms are no longer sufficient.

Despite this, it is clear that security remains an afterthought in many digital strategies - often reduced to compliance. And attempts are made to control it with complex contracts or cyber insurance. But in the age of AI, those who fail to protect their data, models and expertise are not only risking their reputation, they are also jeopardizing their own competitiveness. Contracts and insurance policies are then of little help.

2035: The threat of digital polarization

In the next ten years, artificial superintelligence will be available to everyone. It will surpass humans in many areas and fundamentally change the social and economic order. The USA is focusing on speed and capital, Europe on regulation and fundamental rights. Switzerland is in between - with great expertise but a small market. The risk: being caught between these trends. The potential: to use Swissness and neutrality as a locational advantage. The prerequisite is to drive AI innovation by building super-intelligent security architectures that are internationally recognized as reliable.

This requires technical solutions, such as DLP systems that block sensitive data before it flows out; strong encryption at all levels; or proprietary AI models that remain under control. But it also requires principles, processes and culture. It must be clear: security is already the decisive factor in every AI strategy and every corporate strategy. Because the future does not belong to the fastest, but to those who think about security from the outset - and implement it consistently.

Protecting data in the age of AI - how does it work?

Note: Article published in September 2025 in the NetWeek published.