Artificial Intelligence and the Emerging Global Order: AI Diplomacy, Geopolitical Competition and International Security
Abstract
The world is experiencing a growing integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into political affairs, influencing how states understand technological power, strategic competition, military capability, and international security. AI’s significance extends beyond individual applications because its development depends on data, computing infrastructure, semiconductors, cybersecurity, surveillance systems, and emerging governance arrangements. However, existing scholarship often examines these dimensions separately, creating a need for a more integrated understanding of how they contribute to the changing global order. This qualitative study examines how AI capabilities are influencing geopolitical competition and shaping the future of international security. It uses a documentary and secondary research approach based on peer-reviewed literature, policy documents, institutional reports, and authoritative international assessments, guided by an interpretivist perspective. The evidence is examined thematically to identify recurring patterns and shared ideas across the literature. The study focuses on interconnected issues including AI and global power, the technological rivalry between the United States and China, military AI and autonomous weapons, AI-enabled cyber and surveillance capabilities, semiconductor and supply-chain vulnerabilities, and international AI governance. Rather than assuming that AI will inevitably transform international politics, the study explores how technological developments are understood and incorporated into existing power and security structures. The findings suggest that AI is becoming an important structural factor in global competition while also creating new forms of technological dependence and uncertainty in governance. The study’s main contribution is its integrated interpretation of the technological, geopolitical, military, infrastructural, and normative dimensions of AI. Inclusive governance, strategic dialogue, human oversight, and greater recognition of the needs of technologically dependent states are identified as essential for supporting international security.