Advancements in AI in the last few decades have been tremendous, and the brilliant results and acceptance rates speak for the value AI is set to offer. AI is multidimensional in its approach and hence has found its way in various sectors, domains, and segments.

AI and machine learning is now witnessing substantial attention from international relations, governments, ministries, diplomats, and policymakers. The foreign policy includes ethics, economic disruption, and security too. Foreign policy is transforming swiftly as countries are turning to algorithms to predict events that are significant to the world of business and geopolitics. There is a new and not much talked about role, AI is now being used to analyse world leaders and make predictions.

Countries such as China have adopted AI and ML around diplomacy and related government areas. China introduced an AI foreign policy toolbox and has its “New Generation Plan” to be the world leader in AI by 2030. Other countries such as Russia, Canada, US too are using AI as an instrument in the international diplomacy area. The areas such as international security, cyber-security, threat monitoring, autonomous weapon systems, monitoring of concluded agreements, military power, and warfare.

In 2019, U.S. President Donald Trump signed an executive order creating the “American AI Initiative,” with which the United States joined other major countries pursuing national strategies for developing AI. American diplomats are harnessing the potential of AI technology to make policy changes, promote awareness, and enhance transparency.

Dr. Corneliu Bjola, Associate Professor of Diplomatic Studies at Oxford University, feels that the descriptive applications of using AI in core foreign ministry activities such as enhancing consular services through AI technology shall lead to a better understanding of the global affairs landscape.

In China, politicians, researchers, and bureaucrats have started using AI as an assistant in the day to day decision- making, suggestions, and inputs owing to their swift responses. China is actively adapting to the emerging AI technology trends by exploring the use of AI for improvement and work reinforcement.

On the same lines France, Israel, S. Korea, Japan, Others Join Pentagon’s AI Partnership around practices in harnessing AI for their respective and shared defense missions.

According to the Asia Pacific Foundation of Canada, The government of Canada has also laid the foundation for various initiatives such as digital inclusion labs that have been associated with governmental units and civil society. Canada even invested in the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy by setting up a research congregation in Montreal, Toronto, and Edmonton to nourish Canada’s edge in AI. The country aims to increase engagement in the Asia Pacific around people diplomacy, geopolitics, investment and trade.

Advancements in AI have the potential to reshape the practice of diplomacy with technologies such as image recognition and information sorting. These approaches can make diplomatic operations safer by monitoring personnel and looking for anomalies and vulnerabilities. 

In recent years neural networks and deep learning for risk assessment and prediction of events like terrorist attacks and political turmoil have shown brilliant research results.

Moreover, language processing algorithms will ease off language barriers between countries, allowing them to communicate to foreign governments and ambassadors conveniently.

Using data mining, political forecasting can be made easier leading to better understanding and predictions of political, economic, and social trends. AI could prove itself useful in negotiations, the analysis of past negotiations and in predicting the outcome of on-going discussions.

We can also witness the strengthening of International humanitarian operations with AI technologies as they can assist in monitoring elections, help in peacekeeping operations. Even financial aid disbursements can be protected from discrepancies through AI’s anomaly detection.

Artificial intelligence can also realise efforts in the direction of improving the quality of life in the nations in need by increasing productivity, health care, and other economic benefits. AI and related technologies could be of great use in cases of calamities, disasters, or other severe emergencies asking for international intervention.

So far, the usage of AI in diplomatic practices such as reporting, consular affairs, communication, and negotiations is pretty limited in India. But the potential is great and cannot be ignored, at least around public communication and consular affairs.

Automation and ML have drastically improved with the latest technological developments and hence can make bureaucratic functions streamlined and efficient.

We looked at all the bright aspects of AI’s implementation in diplomatic affairs, but that doesn’t mean there are no risks involved. In the early stages of implementation, we encounter gaps in technological advancements and adoption rates of various countries. In such scenarios, we see that it is important for corporations, foundations, and governments to come forward and allocate funding to develop and deploy AI systems in countries where there is a high need for technological intervention with humanitarian goals.

Like any other revolution, this AI revolution too brings its pros and cons, and it is up to us humans to shape it up in a constructive way and still be prepared for the challenges and complexities that come as part and parcel. Countries cannot deny the influence AI has on IR and diplomacy and the way it can revamp their positions at the global level in the coming decades.

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