CONSENSUS: The world is entering a new US-China bipolar order, with Washington and Beijing as the dominant superpowers managing strategic competition while other nations align with one side.

DISSENT: We are actually in unbalanced multipolarity. Power is diffusing to dynamic middle powers like India, Brazil, and Turkey who refuse to pick sides, making bipolarity obsolete.

SOURCE: The Stimson Center and European Council on Foreign Relations research shows multiple power centers asserting independence.

CONSENSUS: AI is maturing from scale-focused to efficiency-focused, with 2026 being the year AI gets practical through smaller specialized models.

DISSENT: The AI bubble is bursting. 90% of firms report no productivity gains, scaling laws have hit limits, and the $750B data center investment spree mirrors dot-com excess.

SOURCE: National Bureau of Economic Research study (February 2026) plus Stanford faculty calling for rigor over hype.

CONSENSUS: Higher education faces a deteriorating outlook due to the 2026 enrollment cliff.

DISSENT: The cliff is a myth. It is actually an escalator with 32 states showing higher 2026-27 graduates than 2012-13.

SOURCE: ASU President Michael Crow and demographic analysis showing regional variation, with NC A&T posting record 15,725 enrollment.

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