The Tech Diplomacy Talks is a new series of events “aiming to bridge the gap between technology and policy, equipping participants with the knowledge and skills to navigate the evolving technological landscape.”
In a turbulent and complex global landscape, trust remains crucial. The growing role of AI in diplomacy presents new opportunities and challenges, requiring diplomats in International Geneva to develop AI literacy. To ensure equitable sharing of AI's benefits and risks, more global involvement in AI development and governance is needed to avoid the digital divide, distrust in public institutions, societal discrimination, and global insecurity.
Raymond Loretan, President of the Club Diplomatique de Genève, and Benedikt Wechsler, Head of the Digitalisation Division at the Federal Department of Foreign Affairs of Switzerland, opened the talk. A high level panel discussion followed between Benedikt Wechsler, Corneliu Bjola, Professor of Digital Diplomacy and Head of the Oxford Digital Diplomacy Research Group at the University of Oxford, and Amanda Craig, Senior Director, Responsible AI Public Policy, Microsoft. The discussion was co-moderated by Jérôme Duberry, Managing Director at the Institute’s Tech Hub, and Lennig Pedron, CEO of Trust Valley.
The speakers agreed that it is crucial that diplomacy remain active in meeting the challenges and opportunities of technology that is evolving at an unprecedented and accelerated pace, serving as a bridge between the old world and the new, and ensuring that AI serves the many and not the few. Likewise, ethics and accountability were at the forefront of the discussion as the new technologies raise many questions on privacy, security, and intellectual property.
Technology has long played a pivotal role in international affairs due to its close ties to economic and military power. What is changing today is not only the rapid pace of technological innovation but also the way in which these innovations increasingly converge, creating a feedback loop that accelerates further advancements. Diplomacy cannot remain indifferent to these shifts. Virtual embassies are being established, chatbots are employed to engage with citizens, and "digital" ambassadors are being appointed to build relationships with Silicon Valley. However, effective governance and regulation of these technologies are critical. Geneva, with its diverse ecosystem, is well placed to host some of these discussions.
Jérôme Duberry,
Managing Director of the Tech Hub,
Co-Director Ad-Interim, Executive Education,
and Senior Researcher at the Albert Hirschman Center on Democracy
