The 2025 BRICS Summit in Rio de Janeiro has reshaped the tech cooperation landscape with its groundbreaking focus on “AI governance” and “digital sovereignty” for the Global South. Chinese Premier Li Qiang announced at the Summit that China will pioneer the “Digital South” brand under the Global Development Initiative, or the GDI – a commitment to enhance capacity building across developing nations. How can the Global South co-build a more inclusive “Digital South” under the GDI, one that bridges the AI divide and transforms technological potential into shared prosperity?