For most of history, Japan has been existed as a small island next to the mighty kingdom of China. Even its name, "Land of the Rising Sun," refers to its relation as a nation east of Chinaa.

Then along came the industrial revolution. Soon Japan was out conquering China, despite China having a much larger army.

AI will be much faster, and much, much more powerful than the Industrial Revolution.

If Switzerland is the first to human-level AI, it will not become the world leader in oil production, or shipping, or agriculture. But everything else will be Swiss.

And then when the AI becomes superhuman, everything else will be gone.