The race for AI dominance involves both large tech companies and sovereign nations, with the concept of "sovereign AI" referring to a nation's or organization's capacity to develop AI technologies internally based on local policies. Ensuring data privacy is a major concern when using generative AI (GenAI), as sensitive data often has to be shared with third-party cloud services like OpenAI, raising issues around control and security. Open-source AI models, such as Meta's Llama, offer a solution by allowing organizations to bring AI models to their own data, potentially increasing trust and security. Companies like Cohere provide private deployment solutions that allow AI models to be run in a company's cloud or virtual private cloud, keeping sensitive data secure. The cost of deploying large language models (LLMs) on private infrastructure can be high, but the development of smaller, more efficient models is making it increasingly feasible. The evolving landscape of open-source models and private deployment options suggests that data privacy and AI advancement can coexist, making AI a valuable asset for organizations while maintaining data sovereignty.