
Foreign Policy at the AI Frontier
How AI is Reshaping Progress, Power, and Peace
Branka Panic(Author)
CRC Press
1st Edition
Will be published approx. on 3. August 2026
Book
Paperback/Softback
216 pages
978-1-041-08292-7 (ISBN)
Description
This book is a comprehensive guide for foreign policy practitioners navigating the transformative impact of AI on diplomacy and statecraft.
It begins by simplifying AI technologies for non-technical readers and tracing historical parallels of how these transformative technologies have reshaped diplomacy. Organized into three themes - Progress, Power, and Peace - it explores AI as a frontier reshaping international affairs. The Progress and Power sections examine AI's role in geopolitical competition, economic security, and the rise of Big Tech as quasi-sovereign actors, alongside security threats like lethal autonomous systems and AI-driven cyber warfare. The Peace section offers practical insights, showcasing real-world AI applications in diplomacy, peacebuilding, and crisis management. The book also addresses ethical and governance challenges, such as algorithmic bias, the erosion of human control, and the race to regulate AI's rapid evolution. Concluding with aspirations rather than predictions, it envisions how nations can navigate AI rivalry, seize opportunities, and redirect technologies toward peace. Designed for flexibility, each chapter stands alone, enriched with quotes, case studies, and reflections to inspire readers to explore AI's implications for global diplomacy.
This is not a book about tomorrow; it's about preparing for tomorrow by understanding the choices made today. Whether you're a diplomat seeking to understand these tools, a technologist grasping the geopolitical implications of your work, a student preparing for international relations, or a citizen navigating a changing world, this book offers a vital resource, grounded in real-world examples, to guide future work in becoming more informed and responsible.
It begins by simplifying AI technologies for non-technical readers and tracing historical parallels of how these transformative technologies have reshaped diplomacy. Organized into three themes - Progress, Power, and Peace - it explores AI as a frontier reshaping international affairs. The Progress and Power sections examine AI's role in geopolitical competition, economic security, and the rise of Big Tech as quasi-sovereign actors, alongside security threats like lethal autonomous systems and AI-driven cyber warfare. The Peace section offers practical insights, showcasing real-world AI applications in diplomacy, peacebuilding, and crisis management. The book also addresses ethical and governance challenges, such as algorithmic bias, the erosion of human control, and the race to regulate AI's rapid evolution. Concluding with aspirations rather than predictions, it envisions how nations can navigate AI rivalry, seize opportunities, and redirect technologies toward peace. Designed for flexibility, each chapter stands alone, enriched with quotes, case studies, and reflections to inspire readers to explore AI's implications for global diplomacy.
This is not a book about tomorrow; it's about preparing for tomorrow by understanding the choices made today. Whether you're a diplomat seeking to understand these tools, a technologist grasping the geopolitical implications of your work, a student preparing for international relations, or a citizen navigating a changing world, this book offers a vital resource, grounded in real-world examples, to guide future work in becoming more informed and responsible.
Reviews / Votes
"As Stephen Hawking once warned, 'our future is a race between the growing power of technology and the wisdom with which we use it'. As Branka Panic in her important book suggests, we must make sure that wisdom wins. This book is required reading for all those committed to associating technology and peace."Antonio de Aguiar Patriota, Ambassador of Brazil to the United Kingdom.
"AI is one of the most consequential forces reshaping diplomacy and global power. Foreign Policy at the AI frontier provides rare and clear insights into the complexities of AI thoroughly addressing its challenges and implications for security, crisis management, peace building and global governance. This book is recommended for diplomats and policy makers managing the opportunities and risks associated with international relations in the context of advance technologies."
Aichatou Mindaoudou, Former Foreign Minister of Niger, Former Under-Secretary-General of the United Nations.
"Foreign Policy at the Frontier of AI is an indispensable guide to international relations as AI bursts onto the scene. Clear, accessible, and free of jargon, the book demystifies AI, revealing in clear and compelling detail how AI's distinct qualities can be used to foster peace and progress, or alternatively, to consolidate power. The author's moral compass illuminates the stakes and helps us understand the choices ahead. With its detailed and lively uses of tech history and political analysis, this book empowers readers to make informed, ethical choices. It should be required reading for policy makers and citizens alike as they consider the possibilities for an AI-enabled, value-centered world order."
Joel H. Rosenthal, President, Carnegie Council for Ethics in International Affairs.
"Broad in scope, yet extremely relevant and accessible for foreign policy practitioners; the book provides an extremely rich and inspiring glimpse into the art and craft of diplomacy in the age of AI. Bridging theoretical and ethical aspects and tech, Branka Panic helps diplomats to equip themselves with relevant knowledge for today's challenging times."
Hans-Christian Mangelsdorf, Chief Data Scientist, German Federal Foreign Office.
"This is a timely and powerful exploration of how artificial intelligence will fundamentally transform diplomacy, from day-to-day statecraft to the future of global governance. Branka Panic expertly tackles the realities of AI-driven great power competition while offering a clear-eyed analysis of what is at stake for international stability. What truly sets this work apart is that, while much AI research dwells on risks and threats, Panic turns our attention to how AI can be deliberately designed and deployed for peacemaking. The result is an essential, forward-looking contribution that challenges policymakers, scholars, and technologists to imagine AI not just as a source of danger, but as a tool for peace."
Trita Parsi, Executive Vice President, Quincy Institute.
More details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
London
United Kingdom
Publishing group
Taylor & Francis Ltd
Target group
College/higher education
Professional and scholarly
General, Professional Reference, Professional Training, and Undergraduate Advanced
Dimensions
Height: 234 mm
Width: 156 mm
ISBN-13
978-1-041-08292-7 (9781041082927)
Copyright in bibliographic data and cover images is held by Nielsen Book Services Limited or by the publishers or by their respective licensors: all rights reserved.
Schweitzer Classification
Other editions
Additional editions
Book
approx. 08/2026
1st Edition
CRC Press
€148.50
Not yet published
E-Book
approx. 08/2026
CRC Press
€68.49
Not yet available
E-Book
approx. 08/2026
CRC Press
€68.49
Not yet available
Person
Branka Panic is the Founding Director of AI for Peace, a US-based think tank ensuring that AI benefits peace, security, and sustainable development. Panic is a Fellow at the NYU Center on International Cooperation, Stimson-Microsoft Responsible AI Fellow, and a member of UNESCO Women4Ethical AI. She is a Senior Adviser on AI to the German Federal Foreign Office and worked as a Professor of Practice of the Conflict Transformation master's class at the University of North Carolina. She holds an MA in International Development Policy from Duke University, Sanford School of Public Policy, and an MS in International Security from the University of Belgrade, Serbia. She is a co-author of the book AI for Peace (Routledge, 2024).
Content
Introduction
1. Through the Looking Glass of History: Understanding AI's Transformation of Diplomacy
2. The Rise of Tech Diplomacy and the Role of Tech Diplomats
3. The AI Politician: From AI Political Parties to AI Ministers - A Foreign Policy Reckoning
4. The AI Arms Race: The New Frontier of Geopolitical Competition
5. AI and Global Security: New Reality of Lethal Autonomy, Nuclear Risk and Cyber Warfare
6. AI and Economic Security: Promise, Disruption, and the Battle for Sovereign AI
7. AI in Crisis Management: From Early Warning Systems to Agentic Diplomacy
1. Through the Looking Glass of History: Understanding AI's Transformation of Diplomacy
2. The Rise of Tech Diplomacy and the Role of Tech Diplomats
3. The AI Politician: From AI Political Parties to AI Ministers - A Foreign Policy Reckoning
4. The AI Arms Race: The New Frontier of Geopolitical Competition
5. AI and Global Security: New Reality of Lethal Autonomy, Nuclear Risk and Cyber Warfare
6. AI and Economic Security: Promise, Disruption, and the Battle for Sovereign AI
7. AI in Crisis Management: From Early Warning Systems to Agentic Diplomacy