This episode explores how the true AI race is about trust, not technology. Ayca Ariyoruk, Senior Advisor with TRENDS US and Senior Fellow at the Center for AI and Digital Policy, breaks down the U.S.–China rivalry, the politics of “bias-free” AI, the risks of LLMs in conflict, and how governance is emerging as global soft power. With Gulf states building their own models, we examine why legitimacy—not dominance—may shape the future of AI.