The Role of Artificial Intelligence in Foreign Policy and International Security

Abstract

Drawing on the annual analyses and conclusions of the Aspen Strategy Group (which includes former officials, scientists, businesspeople and journalists), then, from the 2023 AI Security Summit at Bletchley Park, the European Union Artificial Intelligence Law (Regulation (EU) 2024/1689)) as well as the 2025 AI Action Summit held in Paris, this analytical research structures a concise critical review of the impact of artificial technology (AI) on global politics and international security. Public discourse on the effects of AI has mainly focused on the fear of it surpassing human intelligence and getting out of control, as well as on the concern that new intelligent machines will replace humans in every aspect of life, from driving cars to diagnosing diseases, etc. However, AI will also have a significant impact on future global politics. It will allow governments to embrace the digital world, providing an alternative to open political systems. In just a few weeks since its release, ChatGPT3 has already gained 100 million monthly users, while chatbots that have become the main topic of conversation are just the tip of the iceberg. Artificial intelligence that creates text, speech, art and videos is advancing rapidly, with far-reaching consequences for governments, commerce and civic life. It is no wonder that there is a serious influx of capital in this sector, that is, both governments and companies are investing in startups to develop and apply the latest machine learning tools. These new applications will combine historical data with machine learning, natural language processing and deep learning to determine the probability of future events. This progress is already hinting at new reshaping of government policies, from which policies are already generating new foreign policies with new geopolitical structuring in the international political and security plan.