The Other in the machine: diplomacy and the AI conundrum

Abstract

The ancient origins of diplomacy can be traced back to the first encounters between bands of nomadic hunter-gatherers and the emergence of the Other in prehistory. The character of diplomacy (how it is made) should not be confused with its nature: person-to-person interactions and how to conduct peaceful relations among foreign and/or separate political communities. Language was critical for behavioral modernity in Homo Sapiens evolution. ChatGPT seemingly mastering language was a tipping point. As AI systems increasingly generate alien, non-human outputs, and encroach upon cognitive tasks that once were a monopoly of our biological brains, seeing the Other in the machine will become more common. Human intellectual supremacy will likely be challenged in several narrow domains, raising long-term anthropological questions as well. This is why the AI conundrum is better understood by making a distinction between foreignness (Us-Them) and alienness (Us-It). Although technological disruption has been changing the landscape where diplomats work, the very nature of their profession remains the same. However, considering the risks involved, caution is advised while deploying new AI tools, particularly in sensitive diplomatic decision-making. Human–machine collaboration will be key to successfully dealing with the inherent alienness of AI.