International Quarterly of Foreign Relations

International Quarterly of Foreign Relations

Politics and International Relations in the Hybrid Life of Artificial Intelligence

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Vahid Zolfaghari 1
Aliakbar Jafari 2
1 Post-doc Researcher in Comparative Politics and Lecturer, Munich, Germany
2 Professor in International relations, University of Mazandaran, Babolsar, Iran
10.22034/fr.2025.496648.1619
Abstract
An updated understanding of the knowledge of international relations (IR) needs a critical thought of international politics and its following developments. Without referring to this logic in an age of artificial intelligence (AI), thinking about these international developments would be invalid that could never review its theoretical approaches. Accordingly, the advent of informative-communicative mega-technologies have necessitated the rethinking of the theoretical logics of IR to manage the existing objective imbalance and empower the analytical richness of IR in order to understand the politics as a technic of thinking, not just a thought. According to above mentions, the central research question is how the different understanding of international developments by media will deepen the mutual relation of AI and IR? Paradigmatic developments in IR theories and the ongoing events in global politics on one hand, and deconstruction of the existing theoretical discourses on the other hand, shape the mutual relations of IR and AI. The finding of this research will herald a possibility of Algorithmic IR and Data governance. By employing the theory of proliferative and pluralist smart order, this paper will analytically test the hypothesis.
Keywords: Informative-Communicative Revolution, International Politics, Knowledge of IR, Global System, Artificial Intelligence
 
  
Extended Abstract
An updated understanding of the knowledge of international relations (IR) needs a critical thought of international politics and its following developments. Without referring to this logic in an age of artificial intelligence (AI), thinking about these international developments would be invalid that could never review its theoretical approaches. Accordingly, the advent of informative-communicative mega-technologies have necessitated the rethinking of the theoretical logics of IR to manage the existing objective imbalance and empower the analytical richness of IR in order to understand the politics as a technic of thinking, not just a thought. According to above mentions, the central research question is how the different understanding of international developments by media will deepen the mutual relation of AI and IR? Paradigmatic developments in IR theories and the ongoing events in global politics on one hand, and deconstruction of the existing theoretical discourses on the other hand, shape the mutual relations of IR and AI. The finding of this research will herald a possibility of Algorithmic IR and Data governance. By employing the theory of proliferative and pluralist smart order, this paper will analytically test the hypothesis.
Introduction
As a theoretical and perceptual science about politics and global structure, international relations discuss about the global developments based on linear approach and method. However, the dimensionality and space-oriented of international politics has demonstrated the intellectual and theoretical deficit of the current theories in the international relations. Furthermore, formation of quadrupled grand discussion in international relations between idealism-realism, behaviorism- traditionalism, post-behaviorism- behaviorism and rationalism-post-structuralism have mostly shown the theoretical challenges of the mega-approaches in international relations. Moreover, transition to the period of political pluralism and advent of artificial intelligence have unclosed the new type of theoretical revisionism and necessitated an updated interpretation about global developments. This brand new relation between science and technology is outspokenly confessed by realists, liberalists and constructivists as well.
Literature review
The appearance of AI in the international relations has convinced the researchers to review their aged thoughts about the global politics. According to the existed literature, there are three different interpretations about the relation between IR and AI. Based on negativity orientation, some researchers understand the international relations as an independent science that has no connection with the advanced technologies. By accenting on the theoretical richness of IR, They reject any mutual relation of AI and IR. Some other literatures are commenting that although the IR is affected by digital technologies, however these types high-techs lack sufficient ability to provide a well-based opportunity for creative and independent activism in the international relation. So, they could be recognized as an advisory and supportive instruments that will not have power of independent decision making. Last but not least, the deep gap between theoretical analysis and the realities of international politics has paved the way for new group of researchers who concentrate on the mutual relation between IR and AI. Based on the experience of COVID-19, a huge gap has been appeared between theoretical approaches of IR and the current political realities, according to the supporters of the mutual relations of IR and AI.
Theoretical framework
The pervasive and pluralist interpretation of IR is found as a new theoretical frame that challenges the intellectual monopoly of grand approaches in the IR such as realism, liberalism and constructivism. As a game-changer, this noval approach has vetoed the prerogative positions of the grand theories of IR and prepared the multilateral context for alternative theory. Furthermore, the manifestation of multi-voiced and multi-faced societies and transition of international politics to the new era of complex interdependency have attracted the AI to support the multilayered analysis. Finally, reproduction of democratic regimes around the world in an era of accelerated globalization, has feed the proliferative order in the new IR.
Main discussion
As a techno-theoretical approach and the fourth industrial revolution in the IR, exhibition of AI has been known as the detached logic of the IR. This new data-based and algorithmic regularity has entered a brand new of analytical method on the IR to appraise the current political developments in the IR properly. The growing importance of AI in the IR is owed to several functions. Firstly, the AI has well-equipped the science of IR with the fresh informative networks. Secondly, the AI has demonstrated the imperfectness of the old version theoretical analysis of the existed theories in the IR. Thirdly, omnipresence of the AI in the new life of global politics has encouraged the theoreticians to review on their accepted views. Finally, the AI has emerged as a mega-plan that seriously discuss with the grand theories of IR and propose a brilliant alternative.
So, this informative and epistemological jump in the science of IR is changing the context of intellectual analysis from geopolitical to techno-geopolitical situation. In other word, by applying the neo-weberian approach and understanding the IR as a multi-facet and multi-world science, will test the optimality of the current macro-perceptions especially power, security, war, peace and liberty based on the standards of digital and data-oriented regularity. According to the digital standards of the AI, three different approaches are labeled. Based on one approach, the IR is as a transcendent politics which is needless to any change in its rule and remark. However, the IR is seen as a responsible politics that is subject to different environmental structure, geopolitical and institutional position of the countries. Finally, some are believed the IR as an institution-based and organization-oriented politics that is suffered by political power. By focusing on these different interpretations, two grand approaches can be extracted from the relations between AI and IR. According to one approach, AI is a normalizer in the new global politics that tries to support the theories of IR to well-analyze the current developments. However, AI in the view of the other approach is called as a veto-player that devalue the standards of analysis of the existed theories in the IR and press them to update their theoretical rules with digital data by increasing the costs of analytical dysfunction. The main lesson of this huge development in the new global politics is that the proliferation of AI and advent of intellectual pluralism does not turn to termination and demise of IR, but try to herald a new turning point in the IR that the analytical regulations of the global politics needs to change simultaneously with the technological evolutions in order to accredite its theoretical investments.
Conclusion
The advent of AI in the IR is representing a new rationality in the theoretical analyses that gradually turn the science of international relations to a technical and digital art. Despite of the growing importance of AI, it needs to be mentioned that every change between AI and IR has to comply with 'regularity', 'legitimation' and 'appropriation'. In other word, every single influence of the AI on the structure of political analysis needs to be based on the rules of the science of IR. Moreover, the power of AI and its standards in the chain of analysis needs to be concurred with the logical goals such as updated analysis, development of the science of IR and representation of real analysis. Finally, the revision of the intellectual standards of the IR theories needs to be appropriated with basic accomplishments of the IR.
Keywords
Informative-Communicative Revolution
International Politics
Knowledge of IR
Global System
Artificial Intelligence

Subjects

Baele, S.J., Bukhari, I., Whyte, C., Cuomo, S., Jensen, B., Payne, K., and Garcia, E. V. (2024), "AI IR: Charting International Relations in the Age of Artificial Intelligence", International Studies Review, Vol. 26, No. 2. Available at; Http://doi.org/10.1093/isr/viae013.
-      Bode, Ingvild (2024), "AI Technologies and International Relations: Do We Need New Analytical Framework?", The RUSI Journal, Vol. 169, No. 5: 66-74.
-      Chiodo, M., Muller, D., and Sienknecht, M. (2024), "Educating AI Developers to Prevent Harmful Path Dependency in AI Resort-to-Force Decision Making", Australian Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 78, No. 2: 210-219.
-      Erskine, T. (2024). "AI and the Future of IR: Disentangling Flesh-and-Blood, Institutional, and Synthetic Moral Agency in World Politics", Review of International Studies, Vol. 50, No. 3: 534-559.
-      Erskine, T., and Miller, S. E. (2024). "AI and the Decision to Go War: Future Risks and Opportunities", Australian Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 78, No. 2: 135-147.
-      Gilpin, R. (1981). War and Change in World Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
-      Hadfield, A., and Leveringhaus, A. (2023), "Autonomous Weaponry and IR Theory: Conflict and Cooperation in the Age of AI", In; Andrej Zwitter and Oskar Gstrein (eds.) Handbook on the Politics and Governance of Big Data and Artificial Intelligence. London: Elgar.
-      Hudson, V. M. (2005), “Foreign Policy Analysis: Actor-specific Theory and the Ground of International Relations”, Foreign Policy Analysis, Vol. 1, No. 1: 1–30.
-      Jafari, Aliakbar and Vahid Zolfaghari (2023). Paradigmatic Evolution in the Theories of International Relations, Iran, Babolsar,
-      Kastner, Ariel (2021), 7 Views on How Technology will Shape Geopolitics. World Economic Forum, April 7. Available at; http://www,weforum.org/agenda/2021/04/seven-business-leaders-on-how-technology-will-shape-geopolitics/.
-      Keohane, R. O., and Nye, J. S. (2012). Power and Interdependence. Boston: Pearson.
-      Logan, S. (2024). "Tell Me What You Don't Know: Large Language Models and the Pathologies of Intelligence Analysis", Australian Journal of International Affairs, Vol. 78, No. 2: 220-228.
-      Morgenthau, H. (1997). Politics among Nations: The Struggle for Power and Peace. Beijing: Peking University Press.
-      Naghibzadeh, A. (2005), Influence of Social Forces on Foreign Policy, Quarterly of Foreign Politics, 19(2), 267-290.
-      Ndzendze, Bhaso and Marwala, Tshilidzi (2023), Artificial Intelligence and International Relations Theories. London: Palgrave Macmillan.
-      Pasquale, F. (2016). The Black Box Society: The secret Algorithms that Control Money and Information. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
-      Pasquale, F. (2017). "Secret Algorithms Threaten the Rule of Law", MIT Technology Review, June 1. http://technologyreview.com/2017/06/01/151447/secret-algorithms-threaten-the-rule-of-law/.
-      Roumate, F. (2024), Artificial Intelligence and the New World Order: New Weapons, New Wars and a New Balance of Power. London: Springer.
-      Sajduk, B. (2019). "Theoretical Premises of the Impact of Artificial Intelligence on International Relations and Security", The Copernicus Journal of Political Studies, Vol. 2: 157-180.
-      Schwab, K. (2016), The Fourth Industrial Revolution. New York: Crown Business.
-      Soleimanzadeh, S., Eslami, M., Mosavi Shefaei, M. and Golmohammadi, V. (2024), Artificial Intelligence Governance in the Digital Era: Evaluating U.S. Strategies and Approaches, Quarterly of Foreign Relations, 16(2), 193-224.
-      Stevie, B. A., and Ammara, A. (2023). "The Shortcomings of Artificial Intelligence: A Comprehensive Study", International Journal of Library and Information Science, Vol. 15, No. 2: 8-13.
-      Vogel, K. M., Reid, G., Kampe, c., Jones, P. (2021). "The Impact of AI on Intelligence Analysis: Tackling Issues of Collaboration, Algorthmic Transparency, Accountability, and Management", Intelligence and National Security, Vol. 36, No. 6: 827-848.
-      Waltz, K. (1998). "War in Neorealist Theory", In; R. Rotberg & R. Theodore (eds.), The Origins and Prevention of Major Wars. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
-      Wendt, A. (1999). Social Theory of International Politics. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.
-      Wong, Y. H., Yurchak, J., Button, R. W., Frank, A. B., Laird, B., Osoba, O. A., Steeb, R., Harris, B. N., Joon Bae, S. (2020). Deterrence in the Age of Thinking Machines. Santa Monica, CA: RAND Corporation.
-      Zolfaghari, V. (2020), Behavior of Social Forces in Foreign Policy, Tehran, Negah Moaser Publication.