Mirza Abdul Aleem Baig
AI Diplomacy integrates the dynamic interaction between artificial intelligence and diplomacy. It covers the transformative impact of AI on the diplomatic landscape, including evolving issues and global scenarios, as well as the strategic utilization of AI technologies to advance diplomatic goals and foster international relations.
Undoubtedly, international relations are undergoing profound transformations. The rapid advancement of technology is surpassing policymakers’ ability to bridge the gap between technological developments and policy formulation. Consequently, there is an urgent need for decisive action from the global community. It is evident that in the era of AI, adhering to traditional diplomatic approaches alone is insufficient.
Artificial Intelligence (AI) stands as a pivotal force in reshaping the global landscape. The ongoing rivalry between China and the United States over AI dominance underscores the vital significance of this technology in international relations. Hence, a shift in perspective becomes imperative for navigating the Age of AI effectively.
Nations must prioritize AI as a strategic component of their foreign policy to ensure a secure trajectory for economic advancement and the well-being of their citizens. At present, AI systems and machine learning algorithms are exerting an increasingly significant influence on our economic and political frameworks. Consequently, the role of AI Diplomacy as a tool for fostering development is becoming increasingly vital.
Projections indicate that AI will contribute over $15.7 trillion to the global economy in the coming decade. The current impact of AI on the world economy is similar to other transformative technologies such as electricity or the internet. Therefore, in terms of strategic foreign policy, international development, and diplomacy, the global agenda must recognize AI as a significant force shaping the future, determining the successes and failures of nations.
AI is poised to initiate the most significant power shift in human history, becoming the predominant force in shaping and governing our future society. The transition from human intuition to data-driven algorithms poses a threat to humanity’s ability to steer its course. Without proactive measures from global leaders to ensure that autonomous AI prioritizes human welfare, it won’t be long before our technological creation becomes a threat to our existence.
Consequently, AI Diplomacy places particular emphasis on fostering international collaboration to establish ethical and comprehensive standards. These standards aim to promote human progress, even in a future where AI achieves full autonomy. Hence, government leaders and diplomats should play a decisive role in realizing the fair use of artificial intelligence that serves humanity’s best interests. Ensuring that developers of this technology adhere to ethical standards capable of mitigating empirical and algorithmic biases, necessitates international consensus and agreements.
Additionally, to guarantee responsible, secure, and fair AI systems, these agreements should advocate for diversity, inclusion, and comprehensive pattern discovery (data mining) in model training. In this context, AI Diplomacy emerges as the most effective approach to promote the widespread acceptance of ethical AI models, as it facilitates the implementation of social and technical policies that prioritize the inclusion of underrepresented populations.
The profound power shift brought about by the era of AI will not only reshape the geopolitical landscape but also alter power dynamics within nations. Essentially, through the creation of a “winner-takes-all” scenario, states with access to this technology stand to amass a disproportionate share of wealth and resources. Therefore, AI has the potential to exacerbate wealth inequality on a monumental scale in our world.
Hence, nations at the forefront of AI development will enjoy significant economic advantages in the 21st century. Moreover, those who establish dominance in the realm of AI will undoubtedly wield political influence over others. In this context, the emerging field of AI Diplomacy is paramount for understanding AI as one of the principal geopolitical assets of our era.
In a nutshell, at the heart of AI Diplomacy lies the imperative to ensure that inter-country negotiations recognize the strategic significance of AI as the primary catalyst for fostering economic development, as well as social and geopolitical stability worldwide.
*The author is a CAS-TWAS President’s Fellow at the University of Science and Technology of China (USTC).
**The opinions in this article are the author’s own and may not represent the views of The Diplomatic Insight. The organization does not endorse or assume responsibility for the content.
