Diplomacy In The Age Of AI

In the aftermath of World War II, diplomacy was formalized into a dance of institutions—measured, stately, predictable. It was an era, as historian John Ikenberry described, of “order through restraint”, where power was regulated by charter, protocol, and the printed communiqué. Multilateralism gave birth to the UN, the World Bank, and the IMF—hallmarks of a post-war consensus that sought to avoid catastrophe through cooperation.

But as we stand today, that model strains under the weight of modern complexity. Diplomacy is no longer just about territory and treaties—it is increasingly about data flows, algorithmic systems, and sovereign control over the digital public square.

The old world had embassies and cables. The new one has APIs and trust mismatches.

The Algorithm is Political

The question is no longer whether AI will change diplomacy—it already has. The real question is who gets to shape the systems that will increasingly mediate everything from peacekeeping to trade, surveillance to speech.

As UN Secretary-General António Guterres recently warned, “Digital technology has enormous potential for good, but also potential to undermine trust, fuel divisions, and erode human rights.” This is why the Global Digital Compact (GDC)—now fully adopted unanimously, co-facilitated by Zambia and Sweden—is so pivotal. It seeks to establish shared principles on digital governance, data sovereignty, and the responsible use of AI.

However, too often, developing countries are invited to the table only after the menu has been set.

Kenya is refusing to wait for an invitation.

In 2024, it became the first African country to appoint a Special Envoy on Technology, Ambassador Philip Thigo, a respected technologist and civic thought leader. His inclusion in the UN High-Level Advisory Body on AI is not symbolic. It is Kenya’s assertion that the future will be co-authored—not received.

As Ambassador Philip Thigo, MBS has said: “We are not guests in the digital future. We are co-architects. The village is not on the margins of innovation—it is its moral centre.”

President William Ruto has emerged as one of the most vocal global leaders advocating for the restructuring of international financial systems. At the 78th United Nations General Assembly in 2023, he declared that “the international financial architecture is dysfunctional, unfair, and unjust,” emphasizing that it consistently sidelines the needs and voices of the Global South. He called for a radical rethinking of debt sustainability, climate finance, and development lending, asserting that “our countries cannot continue to shoulder the burden of a system that was never designed with our realities in mind.”

Principal Secretary Dr Korir Sing’oei, Kenya’s top foreign affairs technocrat, has actively supported this agenda, reinforcing Kenya’s commitment to a more just and equitable global order. Dr. Sing’oei has repeatedly emphasized the importance of decolonizing global governance frameworks and ensuring Africa’s agency in reimagining multilateralism.

What Is the Role of the Diplomat in All This?

I find myself reflecting on the evolving identity of the diplomat in this new diplomatic landscape. No longer merely emissaries of state or custodians of ceremonial protocol, diplomats today must navigate a world where sovereignty is increasingly negotiated through digital and systemic infrastructures, not just treaties.

In an age defined by data flows, algorithmic governance, and real-time disinformation, the diplomat must be more than a representative. They must be curators of narrative, interpreters of systems, and stewards of digital trust. They defend not only the interests of their nation, but also the integrity of platforms, the fairness of models, and the architecture of the commons.

As Professor Anne-Marie Slaughter observed, “Power now lies in networks, not hierarchies.” The modern diplomat must operate precisely at that intersection—grounded in the authority of the state, yet fluent in the language of networks, ecosystems, and communities.

Today’s diplomat must speak in three dialects: law, digital, and care. And in doing so, they must ensure that the village voice is never lost in the noise of the system.

For me, this isn’t just theory. It is personal.

In the rooms I’ve sat in—surrounded by velvet chairs, state emblems, and controlled vocabulary—I’ve often felt that the village soil is missing. That somewhere between the algorithmic abstraction and the diplomatic speech, we lose the reason we’re here at all.

Munyala Mwalo is Design Director Action Lab, Office of the Special Envoy on Technology