THE GEOPOLITICAL IMPACT OF THE EMERGING TECHNOLOGIES

In addition to the cortege of disasters generated by the SARS-COV II pandemic, the current global medical crisis has also had a positive effect. More than ever, it has brought up the fundamental role played by scientific and technological research in the progress of mankind and in its defence against disruptive threats. The modern technological age of the Third Millennium has changed the human-machine relationship. Today, technologies seem to go beyond their status as a tool of power, turning into active players, who determine policies, sharpen stakes, trigger competitions. Step by step, artificial intelligence (AI), 5G, cyber security, robotics, semiconductors and microprocessors, cloud computing, cloud combat and digital networks have taken over human activities and, by extension, international geopolitical dynamics. And, all the subsequent consequences of the technological “sprint” (political, strategic, economic and social) are involving states, international organizations and private companies. The dynamics of competition and international cooperation are being transformed. This article aims to present the impact of the state-of-the-art technologies on contemporary geopolitical dynamics and, in extenso, on Romania's security.