Globalization as an Inevitable Process: History, Crisis, and AI

This article examines globalization not as a passing trend, but as an inevitable structural process shaping contemporary civilization. Drawing on Christopher Meissner's theory, the authors examine the evolution of economic integration from the first wave to the challenges of the digital age. The text explores the tensions between national sovereignty and global markets, invoking Rodrik's trilemma and the historical lessons of the gold standard. A key element of the analysis is the role of artificial intelligence as a general-purpose technology that is redefining supply chains and leading towards structures of technofeudalism. The reader will learn how cloud capital and automation are impacting the geography of development and why a return to full autarky is impossible in today's world. This is a comprehensive look at the mechanisms of the Great Divergence and contemporary models of integration.