eClass ΕΚΠΑ | Digital Diplomacy and Geopolitic...

Digital Diplomacy and Geopolitics of AI

LEPC7 - Ευάγγελος Πρωτοπαπαδάκης

Course Description

The internet and the various media developed and continue to evolve within it have fundamentally transformed the exercise of administration and political power, dictating a radically different approach to strategy and leadership in both the public and private sectors. The online world, with its own laws and rules, nullifies old perceptions and practices while offering new ideas and methods for the exercise of contemporary diplomacy. By rapidly transforming human existence and society, cutting-edge technologies call upon the various actors in international relations - states, organizations, businesses - to reform themselves. The cyber domain is one of the key arenas of international competition; data is as crucial today as oil and gold once were on the global chessboard, and the geopolitics of artificial intelligence will largely determine global dominance in the 21st century. Within this bewildering environment, where the democratization of access to information encounters Orwellian dystopia and the political emancipation of the subject coexists with its manipulation by algorithms, this course seeks, through analysis, methodology, and case studies, to provide the necessary knowledge and critical skills. It aims to equip students with the appropriate tools so that they can analyze systematically and act strategically within the digital environment.

Syllabus
Course Syllabus

I. Leadership and soft power in the 20th century
II. Leadership and soft power in the 21st century
III. Digital Renaissance or Technological Middle Ages?
IV. Leadership and cyberspace: decentralization and hyper-concentration
V. Politics and cyberspace: manipulation and/or liberation
VI. Digital diplomacy: challenges and prospects
VII. Foreign policy and social media
VIII. Geopolitics of technology 1. – from black gold to the intangible gold of data
IX. Geopolitics of technology 2. – cold war 2.0
X. Geopolitics of artificial intelligence – towards the clash of empires?
XI. Information services at the crossroads of two eras
XII. Strategizing and governing in Orwell's universe
XIII. Escaping the cave – Plato in Silicon Valley

Course Objectives/Goals

• The aim is to introduce students to the world of contemporary leadership and governance, which operates simultaneously in both the physical geographical space and the cyberspace. • Various terms related to internet governance will be analyzed, as well as the logics governing the digital landscape. • The methods and tools of digital governance will be highlighted. • Issues related to decision-making processes in the digital context will be examined. • The impact of internet media on modern politics and diplomacy will be studied, and the challenges and prospects for various actors (states, businesses, individuals) in the digital age will be analyzed. • The attitudes, policies, and competition of major powers (USA, China, EU, Russia, etc.) in the modern technological framework will be explored. • Contemporary geopolitics will be mapped out as it is shaped by the competition of international actors around cutting-edge technology issues such as artificial intelligence. • Methods and tools for developing a strategic plan will be presented/analyzed, applicable both in politics and diplomacy and in entrepreneurship in the Web 2.0 era.

Instructional Methods

This course employs a dynamic blend of instructional methods to ensure a comprehensive learning experience. With a focus on engagement and flexibility, the instructional approach comprises 75% face-to-face teaching, fostering direct interaction between instructors and students in a traditional classroom setting. Additionally, 25% of the course involves distant teaching, which can be delivered either synchronously or asynchronously. This remote component allows students to access course materials, participate in discussions, and engage with learning activities at their own pace, leveraging online platforms and resources. By combining face-to-face interaction with remote learning opportunities, the course aims to cater to diverse learning styles and preferences, facilitating deeper understanding and collaboration among students while accommodating individual schedules and needs.
Assessment Methods
- 20%: Participation
- 20%: Oral presentation
- 60%: Written assignment
Prerequisites/Prior Knowledge

This module has no prerequisites in the curriculum or prior knowledge requirements.

Instructors

Instructors for the course will be announced shortly.
Bibliography
- De Nardis, Laura, The Global War for Internet Governance (Yale University Press, 2014).
- Kalathil, Shanthi, Diplomacy, Development and Security in the Information Age (Georgetown University Press, 2013).
- Kurbalija, Jovan, An Introduction to Internet Governance (Geneva, DiploFoundation, 2016).
- Zegart, Amy B., Spies, Lies and Algorithms: The History and Future of American Intelligence (Princeton University Press, 2022).
- Henry A. Kissinger, Eric Schmidt, Daniel Huttenlocher, The Age of AI and Our Human Future (Back Bay Books, 2022).
- Shoshana Zuboff, The Age of Surveillance Capitalism: The Fight for a Human Future at the New Frontier of Power (Public Affairs, 2020).
- Nicolas Miailhe, «The geopolitics of artificial intelligence: The return of empires?», Politique étrangère 2018/3 (Autumn Issue), p. 105-117.
- Lawrence Nardon, «Technology Strategies in China and the United States, and the Challenges for European Companies», Études de l’Ifri, Ifri, October 2020.