Leveraging Generative Artificial Intelligence for Strengthening US Diplomacy: Challenges and Opportunities

The Scowcroft Center for Strategy and Security, in collaboration with Dataminr, has been working on a project to address how US diplomacy can adapt to meet the challenges of the twenty-first century. The project focuses on leveraging generative artificial intelligence (GAI) to strengthen diplomacy in the face of strategic competition with autocratic rivals.

The first issue brief in this series highlighted the changing context of diplomacy and how the US can adapt to the new era of strategic competition. This new issue brief delves into the challenges and opportunities presented by AI, specifically GAI, in the practice of diplomacy.

One of the key opportunities presented by GAI is its ability to facilitate communication, enhance negotiations, assist in content distillation, and augment strategic communications. For example, GAI tools like ChatGPT can help diplomats prepare for negotiations and provide insights into trade treaties. GAI can also help diplomats sift through vast amounts of information and analyze internal documents to track policy shifts in other nations.

However, along with these opportunities, there are also challenges associated with GAI in diplomacy. One major challenge is the potential for GAI to be used for nefarious purposes, such as amplifying disinformation and misinformation. There are also limitations to GAI, including the risk of degrading institutional expertise and the need for human touch in personal diplomacy.

To address these challenges and leverage the opportunities presented by GAI, the issue brief offers several recommendations for US diplomacy. These recommendations include looking at GAI as a critical asset in engaging the information space, working with allies to shape norms around AI, leveraging GAI as a tool of soft power, establishing standards for transparency and ethical guardrails, and reorienting the State Department’s workforce to integrate AI.

By following these recommendations, the United States can strengthen its diplomatic capabilities and better position itself to outcompete autocratic rivals in the new era of strategic competition. The integration of GAI into diplomacy can help the US State Department become more agile and effective in pursuing national interests in a rapidly evolving global landscape.