Artificial intelligence could be a powerful engine of economic growth, boosting productivity, firm capacity, and public services. But it is also creating new dependencies—on a few frontier models, concentrated compute, and innovation ecosystems beyond the reach of many economies—widening a resilience gap between AI leaders and laggards. This panel examines the structural drivers of that gap and the policy choices that will shape it. As AI diffuses unevenly and development outpaces government readiness, closing the gap will require smarter regulation, public investment, and international coordination.