AI's Diplomacy Disruption

Artificial intelligence, or AI, was a hot topic at this year's Diplocamp, hosted by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Brussels, Belgium. At the center of the discussion was the question of how AI will change diplomatic practice. A recent report by the DiploFoundation's Diplo AILab, commissioned by the Finnish Ministry for Foreign Affairs, begins to address this query. 

Importantly, the report delineates between different ways AI's disruptive power will impact diplomacy: it will be a prominent topic diplomats need to address as they manage global relationships; it will serve as a tool for diplomats to use on a daily basis; and it will impact the environment in which diplomacy is conducted. However, it states that diplomats should not fear that diplomacy as we know it will become obsolete with AI's rise. 

"AI is often talked about as a technology with great potential for disruption and diplomacy will have to adapt," reads the report. "But it is safe to say that diplomacy is here to stay. In fact, looking at the fundamental questions and dilemmas that AI and its applications pose, it is clear that we need diplomacy more than ever. Diplomats are needed to foster understanding between countries with very different approaches to AI and to build and maintain relationships across borders with regard to, for example, shared understandings, the peaceful use of the technology, scientific co-operation, and ethical questions."

Read the full report, "Mapping the Challenges and Opportunities of Artificial Intelligence for the Conduct of Diplomacy," here.