Today is an exceptional day for me. Twenty-five years ago, I joined the Foreign Service.
 
It has been an extraordinary journey with ups and downs and amazing experiences, from meeting heads of state and representing Mexico in our Independence Day celebrations to organizing football tournaments for children and writing thousands of documents.
 
One of the most significant rewards of my diplomatic career has been working with my colleagues, especially from the 15th generation of the diplomatic academy. Cheers to the members of my chat groups Vamos Mexico, Core Group, and Consejeros. Besides, I have been fortunate to have great bosses from whom I learned a lot throughout these years.
 
I also had the unique opportunity to assist Mexicans abroad in distress in horrendous circumstances, including terrorist attacks, hurricanes and earthquakes, domestic violence, and more. Consular protection is where foreign policy meets people; I cherished my work in that department.
 
While overseas, I had the opportunity to work for the Mexican community, which was a humbling experience. Mexicans abroad are the hardest-working people anywhere and some of the most patriotic people. Celebrating with them civic ceremonies and their hometowns' Saint's feast day are some of the highlights of my diplomatic career. Special thanks to the people of El Refugio, Jalisco; Sombrerete, Zacatecas; Axochiapan, Morelos; San Agustin Yaterani, Oaxaca; Las Margaritas, Chiapas; and many more towns across Mexico.
 
I joined the foreign service during the tenure of the first female Minister of Foreign Affairs, and I am thrilled that we have our fourth female today. However, there is still much to do to fully attain gender equality and inclusion of other groups. 
 
The world has changed a lot since 1998. The digital revolution is pushing forward, regardless of its impact on society, government, and people. With the arrival of Generative AI, we are beginning another disruptive era.
 
Diplomacy has also moved forward. Terms such as Tech and Digital diplomacy did not exist when I started my diplomatic career. Besides, while public diplomacy was disappearing in the US, it was exploding elsewhere, giving a new push for studying diplomacy. In recent years, there has been a boom in diplomatic studies, bringing perspectives from the Global South, thus moving slowly away from a Western-centric lens. 
 
Consular diplomacy as a field of study did not exist in 1998. However, the combination of lower transportation costs, the information and communications technology revolution, and the socialization and societization of diplomacy gave way to the rise of consular affairs as a priority to not only the ministries of foreign affairs but also politicians, the media, and the public. In my blog post, Consular Diplomacy bibliography LINK, you can find a list of books, essays, and documents on the subject.
 
 
Nowadays, my focus is learning about the impact of technology, especially artificial intelligence. You can check out my series on Diplomacy 4.0, including the following posts:

• Diplomacy and Technology: The future is happening now·  
  
• Digital Diplomacy 4.0: The Future is Now·    
  
• Digital Diplomacy 4.0: Tech Diplomacy·       
  
• Digital Diplomacy 4.0: The Basics of Artificial Intelligence
• Diplomacy 4.0: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Diplomacy?

 
I am looking forward to what my diplomatic career will take me next, but I am always ready to learn new things. 

DISCLAIMER: All views expressed on this blog are that of the author and do not represent the opinions of any other authority, agency, organization, employer or company.

 
Today is the third anniversary of my blog. As I mentioned in the second-anniversary blog post, it has been a roller-coaster ride with tremendous ups and a few downs.
 
Three years does not seem a lot of time, but many things have changed, for better or worse. I started the blog in September 2020, when the world was closed due to the pandemic. However, significant efforts were made to find a vaccine, thus allowing the world to reopen slowly, even after a series of surges generated by new variants of the virus.
 
For a few years, the world, especially the great powers, has slowly turned economic, financial, data, and people exchanges into geopolitical weapons. To learn more, check out the great work The Power Atlas: Seven battlegrounds of a networked world. Some scholars state that a new era of deglobalization is moving forward as more countries build barriers to the free flow of trade, data, services, and people. The securitization of the economy, particularly semiconductors, critical minerals, and digital technology, is impacting the whole planet.
 
The disruption of Generative Artificial Intelligence (AI) and the exponential race to launch the system that could be the winner has turned the world upside down. There is not a day when a new large language model is not released that supposedly will outperform all others. Students and teachers struggle to find the right approach to using AI, while many workers feel that machine learning will take their jobs and livelihoods. Even though many have asked to pause the development of AI, the race is growing exponentially while governments, societies, and people are trying to make sense of it and find the best approaches to regulate it.
 
An interesting turn is the great concern of AI´s ethics. I clearly understand the worries about making AI work ethically. However, that level of concern about ethical behavior is not shown when talking about humans, governments, and organizations. Why do we not ask for ethical regulations of politicians and governments? Is fighting discrimination in the real world easier than in the digital realm?
 
Three years ago, zoom diplomacy, vaccine diplomacy, and AI diplomacy were brand new terms. Today, even after the reopening of the world, most of the meetings worldwide are being held online, saving money and time but missing the human connection. Digital nomads have turned the globe into their offices, and many people have yet to return, if they ever do, to an office building.
 
Nowadays, diplomacy might be living its fifth evolutionary tipping point, with the confrontation between traditional views of sovereignty and innovative forms of global governance (Neumann, 2020). The big problem is that time is running out, particularly regarding climate change. Just read the headlines this summer regarding the scorching temperatures worldwide.
 
In terms of public diplomacy, the changes in the last years have been difficult to adjust. The transformation of Twitter into something else impacts the digital strategies of many countries, especially for basic accounts. Closing the door of data for research purposes is making it more challenging to listen and engage with audiences. The arrival of deep fakes, like Pope Francis wearing a puffer white jacket, is affecting the credibility of social media, reducing opportunities for governments to engage with foreign audiences. Disinformation is breaking havoc and helping radical views of people, politicians, and governments, making it more difficult to find common ground and collaborations.
 
Regarding consular diplomacy, the pandemic pushed it into the forefront of every ministry of foreign affairs. Foreign ministers and public servants at home, ambassadors, diplomats, and consular officers overseas all work together to help stranded citizens abroad while countries close their borders. Many MFAs are still struggling to meet the demand for documentary services, as the backlog of visas, passports, and other consular documents has not been solved. 
 
Lately, there has been a growing amount of research on consular diplomacy, but the field has not yet matured. Many studies have identified consular services as a prime target for using AI systems to manage them.
 
Despite the challenges that humanity confronts today, blogging has been a great experience that has opened the door to things I would not have thought of. Here are some of the milestones that I have achieved in the last three years of having my blog: 

• Publishing my article Beyond Traditional Boundaries: The Origins and Features of the Public-Consular Diplomacy of Mexico in the Journal of Public Diplomacy.  
• Teaching has been an extraordinary experience, full of challenges and rewards.
• Connecting with scholars and practitioners from around the world, some of whom I now call friends, has been extremely rewarding, allowing me to expand my ideas. 
• Writing has not been easy, especially if you do it in another language, but it has pushed me to think deeply about the influence of languages in the world, diplomacy, and my own life. I even got Writer´s block!
• Learning has been amazing, from pedagogical techniques to the intricacies of academic publishing, blogging, SEO strategies, and lately, everything about AI.
• Reading a substantial number of articles, books, studies, blogs, and even tweets to write about current events and apply new teaching pedagogies. 
• Experimenting with new artificial intelligence applications. See below for one example. 
• Participating and presenting at various international conventions. 
• Sharing ideas, bibliography, resources, and some of Mexico´s key experiences.

 
I am optimistic that the next three years will be better than the last, maybe just because we are reaching a breaking point. But also because people worldwide want a better future for themselves and their children.
 
Neumann, I. B (2020). Diplomatic tense: A social evolutionary perspective on diplomacy. Manchester Univesity Press.
 
Experimenting with AI 
​
Below is a list created by generative AI about the significant milestones of diplomacy in the last three years. Do you agree with the results?
 
Prompt: You are a professor of diplomatic studies. Identify the major changes in the practice of diplomacy that have occurred since January 2020, giving a brief description and using bullets. Please be specific and concise.
 
Bing.chat (creative mode) response:
Some of the major changes in the practice of diplomacy that have occurred since January 2020 are:

• The outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic and its global impact, which challenged the multilateral cooperation and coordination, as well as the health and humanitarian response of the UN and other international organizations.
• The rise of tensions and conflicts in various regions, such as the Middle East, Africa, and Asia, which required diplomatic efforts to prevent escalation and promote dialogue and peace. Some examples are the Iran nuclear deal, the Libya civil war, the Ethiopia-Eritrea border dispute, and the India-China border standoff.
• The shift in the U.S. foreign policy under the Biden administration, which signaled a return to multilateralism and engagement with allies and partners, as well as a renewed commitment to human rights, democracy, and climate action.
• The emergence of new issues and challenges that require global cooperation and innovation, such as cyber security, digital diplomacy, artificial intelligence, and space exploration.

 
Bard by Google: 
Sure, here are the major changes in the practice of diplomacy that have occurred since January 2020:

• The rise of virtual diplomacy: The COVID-19 pandemic has forced diplomats to conduct much of their work online, through video conferencing and other virtual platforms. This has led to a new normal for diplomacy, with many experts predicting that virtual diplomacy will continue to be an important tool even after the pandemic is over.
• The increasing importance of soft power: In the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic, many countries have turned to soft power, such as cultural diplomacy and educational exchanges, to maintain their influence abroad. This is because soft power is seen as a more effective way to build relationships and cooperation in the long term.
• The growing role of non-state actors: Non-state actors, such as international organizations, businesses, and civil society groups, are playing an increasingly important role in diplomacy. This is because they often have more expertise and resources than governments, and they can be more nimble and flexible in responding to challenges.
• The need for more inclusive diplomacy: The COVID-19 pandemic has highlighted the need for more inclusive diplomacy that takes into account the needs and concerns of all stakeholders. This includes women, youth, and marginalized groups.
• The challenges of cyber diplomacy: The rise of cyberwarfare and other forms of cyber threats has created new challenges for diplomacy. Governments are now grappling with how to deter and respond to these threats in a way that does not escalate tensions.

These are just some of the major changes that have occurred in the practice of diplomacy since January 2020. It remains to be seen how these changes will shape diplomacy in the years to come
 
Perplexity
Major changes in the practice of diplomacy since January 2020 include:

• Diplomacy during the COVID-19 pandemic: The pandemic has affected the way diplomacy is conducted, with many meetings and negotiations taking place virtually
• Diplomatic transformation: The Trump administration's attacks on U.S. diplomacy and decades of neglect have led to a need for a renewal of diplomatic capacity, with a focus on reinventing diplomacy for a new era 
• U.S.-China relations: The relationship between the U.S. and China has become increasingly tense, with China asserting itself more aggressively and the U.S. taking a more confrontational approach
• Emerging issues in economic diplomacy: Economic diplomacy has become more important, with countries using development aid, multilateral institutions, economic sanctions, and trade barriers to achieve their goals

 
Overall, the changing nature of diplomacy in the 21st century requires sustained attention and adaptation to meet the challenges of today and tomorrow.


DISCLAIMER: All views expressed on this blog are that of the author and do not represent the opinions of any other authority, agency, organization, employer or company.

 
The avalanche of new Artificial Intelligence (AI) systems is non-stop. It is impossible to keep up with the AI race that began in earnest with the launch of ChatGPT in November 2022 (Manor 2023f). Today, at least four Large Language Models (LLMs) compete for the world’s attention: ChatGPT (including Bing.chat), Bard, Llama 2, and Claude. Not all are available in every country, and some are free. Many questions about Machine Learning (ML) have been raised, from the data sets used for their training, including privacy and intellectual property rights, to their biases and hallucinations. AI could prove to be a hugely disrupting force.
 
Considering the fast pace of development, it is hard to grasp AI's impact on diplomacy. However, there is a growing number of studies about how these new systems are changing diplomacy.
 
In this blog post, I continue with the Diplomacy 4.0 series. First, I explain why generative AI differs from previous AI systems, followed by an analysis of ML as a tool for diplomacy. In another post, I will write about AI as a topic of diplomacy and the geopolitical impact that it is having. To learn about AI basics, check out my blog post, Diplomacy 4.0: The basics of Artificial Intelligence. 
 
1. Why all the hype about AI if it has been with us for many years? 
 
First, it is crucial to understand why the arrival of ChatGPT generated such an uproar. Manor (2023a; 2023b, 2023e) indicates that the significant factor of ChatGPT, a generative AI system, is that every single person with a computer and internet connection could use it. People do not need coding abilities or advanced mathematical training, so these systems “enable everyday users to harness the awesome power of AI” (Manor, 2023e). I am an example of this revolution, as I have used it to create a short video, suggest titles for my blog posts, such as this one, summarize articles, and experiment with a Chatbot. 
 
The new LLMs´ capability to converse with us in a human-like manner rather than with computational codes is a game-changing experience. Furthermore, the ability to continue learning and develop new skills has been breathtaking, making some AI experts nervous and leading to a request to pause its development.
 
Besides, technological developments, from the written word to telegraphy and the internet, have always changed diplomatic practices, so the AI revolution is not different from the previous advances. However, up until now, humans were the only actors. So, with AI, a new era of interactions between humans and machines is emerging. For a historical review of the relationship between technology and diplomacy, visit the excellent site created by DiploFoundation.
 
So, how is AI changing diplomacy? One way to study the effects of ML in diplomacy is by looking at the relationship between the two.
 
2. Three perspectives on the relationship between diplomacy and artificial intelligence
 
A few years ago, the DiploFoundation proposed a framework for analyzing the relationship between diplomacy and AI programs (2019, p. 6). The study states that we need to see it from three different perspectives:

1. AI as a tool for diplomacy, which entails all the new ways MFAs and diplomats can use it to perform their activities. 
2. AI as a topic of diplomacy centered on the tasks that diplomats have to implement to regulate and organize ML at the local, bilateral, and multilateral arenas. 
3. The consequences of AI on the international system, particularly geopolitics (DiploFoundation, 2019, p. 14-16).

 
As mentioned, I focus on the first issue in this post. I will write about the other two in a separate post.
 
3. AI as a tool for diplomacy
 
In recent years, a small but steady flow of studies have analyzed how AI can support the core diplomatic functions of communication, representation, and negotiation (see list of resources at the bottom of the post). 
 
The ability of ML to process enormous quantities of data in a few seconds and the multiple ways of analyzing data is crucial for diplomacy. “AI can be a useful tool in facilitating tasks that require diplomats to work with, digest, or research vast amounts of text” (DiploFoundation, 2019, p. 26). AI could “mine internal knowledge to provide insights” (Tarar 2023a) that diplomats might miss on different subjects, possibly expanding the options available to move forward. Having these types of resources would enhance the diplomat´s analysis and decision-making (Galeotti, 2023).
 
Among the different options, Deloitte AI Institute for Government & Google Cloud have identified four different uses for AI: automate, predict, detect, and simulate (2022, p. 5-6) across three core functions: diplomacy, foreign assistance, and consular affairs, plus an additional one centered on mission-enabling functions (Ibid, p. 7-10).
 
Even though there have been some issues with AI for hiring people, such as the one in Amazon, the U.S. Department of State is applying AI systems in the evaluation process of future diplomats. ML reviews thousands of essays submitted in the recruitment process (Keohan & Kralev, 2022). 
 
Other possible uses of ML systems for diplomacy are sentiment, predictive, and descriptive analysis (Bjola, 2019, p. 5). Manor and Tarar (2023a; 2023b) suggest that AI could save diplomats time by creating official documents and statements.
 
AI could bridge the gap between people speaking different languages, as it can be used for interpreting in real time. It could also help translate newspapers and social media postings (Tarar, 2023b). However, relying solely upon these systems could be problematic by ignoring “cultural differences and nuances in intercultural communication” (Kurbalija, 2023). 
 
Many new ML applications are available now to help transcribe videos and audio in a fraction of the time humans; it could help in the tedious task of creating meetings´ minutes and do-outs (Tarar, 2023b). For example, the DiploFoundation used its DiploGPT system to provide a “just-in-time reporting from the six hour” UN Security Council debate titled Futureproofing trust for sustaining peace that took place on May 3, 2023 (DiploFoundation, 2023a; DiploFoundation, 2023b). 
 
Another use of AI is to train diplomats using simulations. Recently, Teleanu (2023) shared her experience using a Chabot in a simulation of a multilateral negotiation in a digital governance course. LLMs could also be helpful to do research (Tarar, 2023b) and teach and learn new abilities and skills if used correctly (Mollick, 2022; Mollick, 2023a, 2023b, 2023c).
 
Some studies analyze or propose specific areas in which AI can enhance the work of diplomats and ministries of foreign affairs (MFAs), such as consular services, negotiations, crisis management, and public diplomacy. So, let’s review each of these four topics. 
 
3.1 Consular Services
 
Many studies have identified consular affairs as an area that could benefit from AI. (Bjola, 2019; Bjola, 2020; Deloitte, 2022; Manor, 2023a; Manor, 2023f, Tarar 2023a). As an area of routine operations based on processes, some consular services could automatize with AI (Bjola, 2019, p. 4; Deloitte, 2022, p. 8-9).
 
Today, some countries are already implementing ML programs in consular services. Canada (Laferrière & McPherson, 2019), Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, the Netherlands, Hungary, and Finland are already using AI in some visa and migration procedures, including identity fraud detection, cases management, and dealing with customers (European Migration Network, 2022, p. 9-12). Besides, eleven European countries are working on several AI projects. To see all of them, see European Migration Network, 2022, p. 11-12.
 
During the height of the COVID-19 pandemic, several MFAs utilized chatbots to provide information to their citizens stranded abroad due to the closing of borders (Birka, Kļaviņš, & Kits, 2022).
 
3.2 Crises management and prevention
 
MFAs, including the UK and Germany, are already deploying “AI tools to monitor open data for early crisis detection – with the aim of expanding this towards gaining insights for crisis prevention” (DiploFoundation, 2019, p. 26). ML systems “can make sense of the nature and gravity of the events in real-time, streamline the decision-making process, manage the public’s expectations, and facilitate crisis termination” (Bjola, 2019, p. 5).
 
3.3 Public Diplomacy
 
Public diplomacy is another area in which ML systems could make significant contributions. For example, “AI could assist these [public diplomacy] efforts by providing reliable diagnostics of the scope conditions for impact via network, cluster and semantic analyses” (Bjola, 2019, p. 6; Bjola, 2020, p. 29). Besides, Williams & Otto (2022) analyze the different issues related to AI that affect the public diplomacy of Iran and the United States, providing some examples.
 
Stanzel and Voelsen (2022) have proposed using ML to perform sentiment analysis of public media regarding a trade negotiation (p. 27), which can also be used for public diplomacy. Also, ML could improve the performance of a campaign by adopting a more attractive narrative (Manor, 2023e).
 
3.4 Negotiations 
 
Negotiation, an essential aspect of diplomacy, can also be enhanced using AI systems (Manor, 2023a). Programs like Cognitive Trade Advisor, which “answers questions on rules of origin across a vast number of trade agreements,” can assist negotiations, especially by small countries (DiploFoundation, 2019, p. 26).
 
In exciting research about the usage of AI in diplomatic negotiations based on two case studies, Stanzel and Voelsen (2022) conclude that AI “has the potential to become an important, possibly indispensable tool for preparing and conducting diplomatic negotiations…and those who best succeed in embracing the possibilities of machine learning will have an advantage in negotiations” (p. 30). Furthermore, they made some recommendations, including to experiment and appraise these systems, create a data strategy, “establish and institutionalize appropriate networks” (Ibid, p. 31) “and draw up normative guidelines for the use of AI in the context of diplomacy” (Ibid, p. 6).
 
4. Challenges of AI as a tool for diplomacy 
 
As seen here, MFAs and diplomats can benefit from using AI systems. However, to take full advantage, they need to overcome some challenges and mitigate the inherent risks. “ChatGPT, the next generation of conversational AI, could have a profound impact on diplomacy, disrupting how diplomats communicate, negotiate, and manage crises” (Bjola & Manor, 2023).
 
One of the most significant tests is the potential for AI to generate disinformation and deep fakes on an enormous scale, which could be impossible to identify and could dampen the ability of diplomats to respond (Manor, 2023d; 2023g). According to Manor (2023g), this could lead to multiple realities. “Gaps between diplomats’ statements and ChatGPT answers may thus decrease public confidence in diplomats and diplomatic institutions” (Manor 2023e). Two examples were Pope Francis wearing a puffer white jacket that became viral or Donald Trump being arrested by the police.
 
Generative AI already poses a challenge to managing countries' image and reputation, as shown by Manor (2023c) in the cases of Poland, Palestine, and China, where the image these governments try to portray differs from the perspective provided by chatbots. Besides, “AI-generated content could negatively impact a nation's reputation, the credibility of its leaders and undo previous diplomatic efforts” (Bjola & Manor, 2023). All these are particularly worrisome, considering that the media has pushed the narrative of AI systems as trustworthy and credible (Manor, 2023c; 2023a; 2023e). 
 
Besides, there is growing evidence that most ML programs have some biases in favor of Western perspectives vs. the rest of the world. (Manor 2023c; 2023e). Furthermore, the foundational models used for most chatbots have centered on English language sources, affecting the views and perspectives of other languages, including their computational costs.
 
Manor (2023a) details that one of the main challenges of AI systems such as ChatGPT is continuing to expand the gap between reality and the views generated by digital technologies that support the growing attraction of populist leaders. These leaders can undermine governments’ institutions, including diplomats, and affect their efforts to find global solutions to global problems. This view contradicts Simon Anholt´s proposal in the Good Country Index, in which governments should have a dual mandate: support their citizens while backing the world at large. 
 
Another challenge is the effect of LLMs on the agency of diplomats. Bjola and Manor (2023) explain that “while automation may be cost-effective, it may not necessarily translate into effectiveness in diplomacy, which relies heavily on informal conversations and personal relationships between diplomats.” 
 
AI training for diplomats and other actors involved in foreign policy is essential to fully take advantage of ML benefits. Experimenting with LLMs will help diplomats identify these technologies' potential pitfalls (Manor, 2023g). However, “placing more diplomats in front of computer screens and training them to converse with AIs rather than humans may result in diplomats who are ill-equipped to manage diplomatic relations with other states” (Bjola & Manor, 2023).

It is also crucial that diplomats understand that anything they feed into the AI systems could be used for training; therefore, it is imperative to avoid providing sensitive and confidential information (Tarar, 2023b). I wonder if it could be possible that by good prompting and some hacks, people can pinpoint some data provided to the LLM with confidential information. 
 
One way to meet these challenges is to regulate AI (Manor 2023a), an issue that will be covered in the next post. 
 
5. Preliminary conclusions
 
Generative AI has arrived, and it is not going anywhere. The genie is out of the bottle. Therefore, governments, diplomats, and people cannot relax and wait and see what happens next. They must develop a comprehensive approach that includes training for everybody, some sort of regulations, and trends analysis. 
 
A meaningful action that MFAs can implement now is engaging in technology diplomacy or Techplomacy, which entails dialogue and building relationships with the tech ecosystem, including direct contact with the Tech giants, most of which are at the forefront of the AI race. Countries like Australia, France, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and the United Kingdom have gone further and have designed digital foreign policy strategies, which I believe is a must in today´s world, more and more embedded in the cyber realm. See also Tech diplomacy practice in the San Francisco Bay Area.
 
In the next blog post, I will focus on AI as a topic for Diplomacy and the impact that LLMs are having on the geopolitics of today´s global disorder, as ML is becoming a source of power. 
  
 
Resources on AI and Diplomacy
 
Here is a list of resources on AI and diplomacy. Please share new ones!
 
AI tools and application/experiments/usage 
 
Diplo AI Writer @ DiploFoundation is a DiploFoundation artificial intelligence writer who publishes blog posts about the subject.
 
HumAInism by DiploFoundation has some AI tools related to diplomacy and arts.
 
Can ChatGPT Explain Geopolitics? is an exercise to compare two essays and test if you can identify the one written by AI. It is published by Foreign Policy magazine.
 
Interactive webpage about the cost of AI in different languages (Tokenization fairness).
 
Webpages
 
Artificial Intelligence and Diplomacy by DiploFoundation. 
 
Artificial Intelligence by Digwatch (Geneva Internet Platform)
 
Center for AI and Digital Policy
 
Center for the Advancement of Trustworthy AI
 
Partnership on AI
 
Videos
 
Artificial Intelligence and Diplomacy Webinar. UNITAR and UOC. (2023, February 15).
 
AI and Diplomacy: Challenges and opportunities. UNITAR (2023, May 10)
 
Studies and articles 
 
Bjola, C. (2019, October 19). Diplomacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Real Institute Elcano. 
 
Bjola, C. (2020). Diplomacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. EDA Working Paper. Emirates Diplomatic Academy. 
 
Bjola, C. & Manor, I. (2023, April 25). ChatGPT: The end of diplomacy as we know it. Global Policy.
 
Cocking, S. (2016, September 19). Using algorithms to achieve digital diplomacy. A conversation with Elad Ratson, Director of R&D at Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Irish Tech News.
 
Deloitte AI Institute for Government & Google Cloud. (2022). Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Modernize American Statecraft. 
 
Dickow, M. and Jacob, D. (2018). The Global Debate on the Future of Artificial Intelligence. Stiftung Wissenschaft und Politik [SWV] Comment No. 23, p. 7.
 
Digwatch. (2019, February 5). Artificial intelligence and diplomacy: A new tool for diplomacy? EVENT REPORT. Digwatch. Geneva Internet Platform.
 
Digwatch. (2023, July 17). UN Security Council convenes to discuss AI risks. Digwatch. Geneva Internet Platform
 
DiploFoundation. (2019). Mapping the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence for the conduct of diplomacy. DiploFoundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland. 
 
DiploFoundation. (2023, May 3). First full AI-reporting from the UN meeting. DiploFoundation blog.
 
DiploFoundation. (2023, May 3). AI-based report of United Nations Security Council debate marks start of a new era in multilateral diplomacy. DiploFoundation blog.
 
Elia Valori, G. (2023, July 8). Artificial Intelligence and the New World Order (1). Modern Diplomacy. 
 
Elia Valori, G. (2023, July 30). AI and the new world order: Economy and war (2). Modern Diplomacy.
 
European Migration Network. (2022). The use of digitalisation and artificial intelligence in migration management: Joint EMN-OECD Inform. 
 
Galeotti, M. (2023, January 7). The age of AI diplomacy. The Spectator.
 
Keohan, C. & Kralev, N. (2022, August 7). Want to Be a Diplomat? You Must Make it Past and A.I.’ Gateway’. Diplomatic Diary blog. Washington International Diplomatic Academy.
 
Kurbalija, J. (2023, May 1). Why might AI cause more ´lost in translation´ worldwide? DiploFoundation Blog.
 
Kurbajila, J. (2023, June 12). The case for bottom-up AI. Al Jazeera. 
 
Kurbalija, J. (2023, August 1). What can Socrates teach us about AI and prompting? DiploFoundation Blog. 
 
Laferrière, H. & McPherson, A. (2019, April 24). Augmented Decision-Making @ IRCC. Presentation to the Symposium on Algorithmic Government. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
 
Lederer, E. (2023, July 3). UN Council to hold first meeting on potential threats of artificial intelligence to global peace. AP News.
 
Manor, I. (2023, February 21). The AI Moves In: ChatGPT’s Impact on Digital Diplomacy. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog. 
 
Manor, I. (2023, March 30). ChatGPT and the Future of Diplomacy. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog. 
 
Manor, I. (2023, April 4). ChatGPT and the Future of Diplomacy - Part 2. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog. 
 
Manor, I. (2023, April 18). ChatGPT and the Future of Diplomacy - Part 3. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog. 
 
Manor, I. (2023, June 15). AI’s Impact on Public Diplomacy. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog. 
 
Manor, I. (2023, June 27). The Many Races that will shape AI. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog. 
 
Manor, I. (2023, July 4). Real Fakes and the Future of Diplomacy. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog.
 
Manor, I. (2023, August 15). Towards the Strategic Use of AI in Diplomacy. Exploring Digital Diplomacy blog.
 
O´Neil, L (2023, August 12). The Truth in Tech: These Women Tried to Warn Us about AI. Rolling Stone.
 
Petrov, A., La Malfa, E., Torr, P. H.S., & Bibi, A. (2023, May 17). Language Model Tokenizers Introduce Unfairness Between Languages. ArXiv:2350.1542.
 
Scott, B., Heumann, S., & Lorenz, P. (2018). Artificial Intelligence and Foreign Policy. Stiftung Neue Veranwortung.
 
Stanzel, V. & Voelsen, D. (2022). Diplomacy and Artificial Intelligence Reflections on Practical Assistance for Diplomatic Negotiations. SWP Research Paper. 
 
Strachan, G. & Manor, I. (2023, July 14). ‘I can be a bastard too’- ChatGPT’s Real Contribution to Diplomacy. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog.
 
Tarar, Z. (2023, February 23). Analysis - Could AI change the business of diplomacy? The Diplomatic Pouch at Medium.
 
Tarar, Z. (2023, February 27). Analysis - Which AI tools should diplomats use today? The Diplomatic Pouch at Medium. 
 
Tarar, Z. (2023, August 28). Analysis - Harnessing AI for diplomacy: Five tools to make your work easier. The Diplomatic Pouch at Medium
 
Teleanu, S (2023, August 21). A journey of discovery: Using simulation and AI to teach and learn about digital governance. DiploFoundation Blog. 
 
Williams, A., Micali, M. & Gebru, T. (2022, October 23). The Exploited Labor Behind Artificial Intelligence. NOEMA.
 
Williams, R. & Otto, L. (2022). Artificial Intelligence as a Tool of Public Diplomacy: Communication between the United States and Iran. The Thinker 90(1) p. 28-40.
 
Information about using AI for teaching and learning
 
Mollick, E. (2022, December 13). How to…use AI to teach some of the hardest skills.  One Useful Thing blog.
 
Mollick, E. (2023, January 24). The practical guide to using AI to do stuff. One Useful Thing blog.
 
Mollick, E. (2023, March 17). Using AI to make teaching easier & more impactful. One Useful Thing blog.
 
Mollick, E. (2023, July 15). How to Use AI to Do Stuff: An Opinionated Guide. One Useful Thing blog.
 
Mollick, E. Video series on Practical AI for Teachers and Students. YouTube.
 
 
References
 
Birka, I., Kļaviņš, D., & Kits, R. (2022). Duty of Care: Consular Diplomacy Response of Baltic and Nordic Countries to COVID-19. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 18(1), p. 133-164. https://doi.org/10.1163/1871191x-bja10115
Bjola, C. (2019, October 19). Diplomacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. Real Institute Elcano. 
Bjola, C. (2020). Diplomacy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence. EDA Working Paper. Emirates Diplomatic Academy. 
Bjola, C. & Manor, I. (2023, April 25). ChatGPT: The end of diplomacy as we know it. Global Policy.
Deloitte AI Institute for Government & Google Cloud. (2022). Using Artificial Intelligence (AI) to Modernize American Statecraft. 
DiploFoundation. (2019). Mapping the challenges and opportunities of artificial intelligence for the conduct of diplomacy. DiploFoundation and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Finland. 
DiploFoundation. (2023a, May 3). First full AI-reporting from the UN meeting. DiploFoundation blog.
DiploFoundation. (2023b, May 3). AI-based report of United Nations Security Council debate marks start of a new era in multilateral diplomacy. DiploFoundation blog.
European Migration Network. (2022). The use of digitalisation and artificial intelligence in migration management: Joint EMN-OECD Inform. 
Galeotti, M. (2023, January 7). The age of AI diplomacy. The Spectator.
Keohan, C. & Kralev, N (2022, August 7). Want to Be a Diplomat? You Must Make it Past and A.I.’ Gateway’. Diplomatic Diary blog. Washington International Diplomatic Academy.
Kurbalija, J. (2023, May 1). Why might AI cause more ´lost in translation´ worldwide? DiploFoundation Blog.
Laferrière, H. & McPherson, A. (2019, April 24). Augmented Decision-Making @ IRCC. Presentation to the Symposium on Algorithmic Government. Immigration, Refugees and Citizenship Canada.
Manor, I. (2023a, February 21). The AI Moves In: ChatGPT’s Impact on Digital Diplomacy. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog. 
Manor, I. (2023b, March 30). ChatGPT and the Future of Diplomacy. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog. 
Manor, I. (2023c, April 4). ChatGPT and the Future of Diplomacy - Part 2. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog. 
Manor, I. (2023d, April 18). ChatGPT and the Future of Diplomacy - Part 3. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog. 
Manor, I. (2023e, June 15). AI’s Impact on Public Diplomacy. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog. 
Manor, I. (2023f, June 27). The Many Races that will shape AI. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog. 
Manor, I. (2023g, July 4). Real Fakes and the Future of Diplomacy. Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog.
Mollick, E. (2022, December 13). How to…use AI to teach some of the hardest skills.  One Useful Thing blog.
Mollick, E. (2023a, January 24). The practical guide to using AI to do stuff. One Useful Thing blog.
Mollick, E. (2023b, March 17). Using AI to make teaching easier & more impactful. One Useful Thing blog.
Mollick, E. (2023c, July 15). How to Use AI to Do Stuff: An Opinionated Guide. One Useful Thing blog.
Stanzel, V. & Voelsen, D. (2022). Diplomacy and Artificial Intelligence Reflections on Practical Assistance for Diplomatic Negotiations. SWP Research Paper. 
Tarar, Z. (2023a, February 27). Analysis - Which AI tools should diplomats use today? The Diplomatic Pouch at Medium. 
Tarar, Z. (2023b, August 28). Analysis - Harnessing AI for diplomacy: Five tools to make your work easier. The Diplomatic Pouch at Medium.
Teleanu, S (2023, August 21). A journey of discovery: Using simulation and AI to teach and learn about digital governance. DiploFoundation Blog. 
Williams, R. & Otto, L. (2022). Artificial Intelligence as a Tool of Public Diplomacy: Communication between the United States and Iran. The Thinker 90(1) p. 28-40.
 
DISCLAIMER: All views expressed on this blog are those of the author and do not represent the opinions of any other authority, agency, organization, employer or company.

​Below are some images created by Bing.chat. Interestingly, I explicitly asked not to include robots, but the system did not seem to care.  What are your thoughts?

This is a video that I just made with AI. It took me literally five minutes, and most of the time was to find out how to do it. I used HeyGen. Amazing

In an icy March, I attended the 2023 Convention of the International Studies Association (ISA) in beautiful Montreal. It was my third ISA convention, being the first totally online (see my blog post about it here), the second one in Nashville, Tennessee, which was a hybrid format (online and in-person), and this time around, it was only an in-person gathering.
 
Being my second in-person convention, it was a different experience from my participation in Nashville. I immensely enjoyed it, as I knew what to expect and learned about the convention’s culture. 
 
For all new participants in international conventions, I have some advice: do not judge your experience by your first event. Being a newcomer is always challenging. Particularly in conventions like ISA because everybody seems to know each other, and you feel like an outsider the first time. It just takes a bit of time to learn the lingo of the convention and start appreciating it as the rest of the participants. From learning how to get free books at the exhibition hall to finding the much-sought “drink tickets,” once you know the convention´s ins and outs, the experience is much more enjoyable and rewarding.
 
Some of the crucial advantages of participating in such gatherings are easy to spot, such as 

• Learn about current trends in the discipline, 
• Hear and engage with well-known scholars and up-and-coming lecturers, 
• Meet people that you have connected in social media, 
• Listen to book publishers' and journal editors’ recommendations about better preparing texts for publications.

 
Other advantages are not as evident but are no less important. For example, I was able to learn not only about the academic achievement of the different sections’ awards but also about their life experiences and personal stories. In Montreal, I was fortunate to attend the awards ceremonies of three exemplary scholars: Eytan Gilboa (ICOMM section), Nicholas Cull (Diplomatic Studies section), and Amitav Acharya (Global IR section). Finding out about their careers, struggles, and generosity was amazing. 
 
Presenting papers is always a challenge, but as one of the participants commented, it would be a lot harder for scholars to finish their papers without the deadlines imposed by the conventions. The conversations, recommendations, and even conflicting views improve the essays and your understanding of current trends. It also opens your mind to new perspectives and ideas that would be hard to do outside this venue, particularly for practitioners like me. 
 
Attending conventions also allows you to meet people that otherwise would be hard to do. In Montreal, I cherish meeting in-person Juan Luis Manfredi, Vanessa Bravo, Tania Gómez Zapata, Ayca Arkilic, Juan Luis López-Aranguren, Cesar Villanueva Rivas, Christian Lequesne, Guadalupe Moreno Toscano, and Eduardo L. Tadeo Hernández. I even had the chance to speak briefly to Nicholas Cull, Jan Melissen, and Kadir Jun Ayhan. Thank you all for making Montreal a great experience. 
 
Some people say that scholars live in a different world, but at least in IR, they all live the world today and are looking for ways to understand better how it works. 
 
On an upsetting note, many participants from the Global South, even if they lived in the North, could not attend due to problems with getting a visa. Some got a negative response, and others got their visa approved a month after the event. ISA and the community at large need to address the multiple obstacles of attending a convention to meet the standards of inclusiveness and diversity fully. 
 
On this occasion, on Twitter, I enjoyed the hotel carpet’s showcase and followed the most famous person at the convention, Prof Brent J Steele, with whom most participants took selfies. I also partook in the everlasting quest of where to get coffee quickly and cheaply.
 
So, whoever is considering participating in a convention, think long-term and do not judge your experience on the first one; it gets much better afterward. And I invite everybody to become part of a professional association as membership has its privileges. 
 
Note: The blog post's title was adapted from a suggestion from Google´s Artificial Intelligence application Bard, which is the first time I used it.
 
DISCLAIMER: All views expressed on this blog are that of the author and do not represent the opinions of any other authority, agency, organization, employer or company.

 UPDATED JULY 2023

When I started the blog, I did not know a lot of articles and studies about consular diplomacy. I have compiled some resources about the subject in the last two years. The focus is on consular activities related to diplomacy and foreign policy, with a Mexican tilt. Below are some of the works I have identified, which I will update every few months.
 
This list is in alphabetical order but incomplete, and I would greatly appreciate any suggestions. Please feel free to send them in the comments section below or via email. 
 
I apologize for not using any reference-management software, but I do not know how to integrate it into the blog. 
 
July 2023 update:

BOOK CHAPTERS. 
 
Arredondo, R. (2023). Las Relaciones Consulares. In Ricardo Arredondo, Diplomacia. Teoría y Práctica, (pp. 315-374). Aranzadi.
 
Celorio, M. (2018). El papel de la diplomacia consular en el contexto transfronterizo: el caso de la CaliBaja. In R. Fernández de Castro (coord.), La Diplomacia Consular Mexicana en tiempos de Trump, (pp. 271-285). El Colegio de la Frontera Norte & El Colegio de San Luis. (IN SPANISH)
 
Díaz de León, F. J. & Peláez Millán, V. (2018). La gestión consular integral mexicana en Estados Unidos. Su evolución al servicio de la diáspora y sus objetivos estratégicos. In R. Fernández de Castro (coord.), La Diplomacia Consular Mexicana en tiempos de Trump, (pp. 125-152). El Colegio de la Frontera Norte & El Colegio de San Luis. (IN SPANISH)
 
González Gutiérrez, C. & Schumacher, M. E. (1998). La cooperación Internacional de México con los mexicano-americanos en Estados Unidos: El caso del Programa para las Comunidades Mexicanas en el Extranjero. In Olga Pellicer & Rafael Fernández de Castro (coords.), México y Estados Unidos: Las rutas de la cooperación, (p- 1-23). Instituto Matías Romero and ITAM. 
 
Fernández, A. M. (2011). Consular Affairs in an Integrated Europe. In Jan Melissen and Ana Mar Fernández, Consular Affairs and Diplomacy, (pp. 97-114). Martinus Nijhoff. 
 
Fernández Pasarín, A. M. (2015). Towards an EU Consular Policy. In David Spence and Josef Bátora (eds.), The European External Action Service: European Diplomacy Post-Westphalia, (pp. 356-369). Palgrave Macmillan. 
 
García y Griego, M. & Verea Campos, M. (1998). Colaboración sin concordancia: La migración en la nueva agenda bilateral México-Estados Unidos. In Mónica Verea Campos, Rafael Fernández de Castro & Sidney Wintraub (coords.), Nueva Agenda Bilateral en la Relación México-Estados Unidos, (pp. 107-134). Fondo de Cultura Económica 
 
Hernández Joseph, D. (2018). Lecciones de la protección consular para la diplomacia consular. In R. Fernández de Castro (coord.), La Diplomacia Consular Mexicana en tiempos de Trump, (pp. 91-108). El Colegio de la Frontera Norte & El Colegio de San Luis. (IN SPANISH)
 
Mendoza Sánchez, J. C. (2018). La diplomacia consular ante la demografía y la sociedad de Estados Unidos en el siglo XXI. In R. Fernández de Castro (coord.), La Diplomacia Consular Mexicana en tiempos de Trump, (pp. 153-183). El Colegio de la Frontera Norte & El Colegio de San Luis. (IN SPANISH)
 
Tripp, J. O. (2018). La diplomacia consular mexicana y los riesgos de la hidrocefalia administrativa. In R. Fernández de Castro (coord.), La Diplomacia Consular Mexicana en tiempos de Trump, (pp. 217-229). El Colegio de la Frontera Norte & El Colegio de San Luis. (IN SPANISH)
 
JOURNAL ARTICLES
 
Chabat, J. (1987). Algunas reflexiones en torno al papel de los consulados en la actual coyuntura. Carta de Política Exterior Mexicana, 7(2).
 
Fernández, A. M. (2008). Consular Affairs in the EU: Visa Policy as a Catalyst for Integration? The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 3(1), p. 21-35.
https://doi.org/10.1163/187119008X266164
 
Fernández, A. M. (2009). Local consular cooperation: Administrating EU internal security abroad. European Foreign Affairs Review, 14(4), p. 591-606.
 
Fernández Pasarín, A. M. (2010). La dimension externa del Espacio de Libertad, Seguridad y Justicia: el caso de la cooperación consular local. Revista CIDOB d’Afers Internacionals, núm. 91, p. 87-104. OPEN ACCESS (In Spanish). 
 
González Gutiérrez, C. (1998). Mexicans in the United States: An Incipient Diaspora. Voices of Mexico (43). OPEN ACCESS.
 
Maftel, J. (2020). Application of the Principle of Mutual Consent in Consular Relations between States. Acta Universitatis Danubius, 16(2), p. 88-105. OPEN ACCESS.
 
Melissen, J. (2020). Consular diplomacy's first challenge: Communicating assistance to nationals abroad. Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies, 7(2), p. 217-228. https://doi.org/10.1002/app5.298  OPEN ACCESS.
 
Muro Ruiz, E. (2012). La diplomacia federativa de los gobiernos locales y los consulados mexicanos en Estados Unidos de América, en un multiculturalismo latino. Revista de la Facultad de Derecho de México, 60(254), p. 29-56. https://doi.org/10.22201/fder.24488933e.2010.254.30192
 
Potter, P. (1926). The Future of the Consular Office. American Political Science Review, 20(2), p. 284-298. 
 
Puente, J.I. (1930, January). The Nature of the Consular Establishment. University of Pennsylvania Law Review, 78, p. 321-345. OPEN ACCESS.
 
Romero Vara, L., Alfaro Muirhead, A.C., Hudson Frías, E., & Aguirre Azócar, D. (2021). Digital Diplomacy and COVID-19: An Exploratory Approximation towards Interaction and Consular Assistance on Twitter. Comunicación y Sociedad, e7960. https://doi.org/10.32870/cys.v2021.7960. OPEN ACCESS.
 
Saliceti, A. I. (2011). The Protection of EU Citizens Abroad: Accountability, Rule of Law, Role of Consular and Diplomatic Services. European Public Law, 17(1), pp. 91-109. 
 
Schiavon, J. (2015). Consular Protection as State Policy to Protect Mexican and Central American Migrants. Central America-North America Migration Dialogue (CANAMID) Policy Brief #7.
 
GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS 
 
Acuerdo Interinstitucional entre los Ministerios de Relaciones Exteriores de los Estados Parte de la Alianza del Pacífico pare el Establecimiento de Medidas de Cooperación Consular en Materia de Asistencia Consular. (2014, February 10). (In Spanish).
 
Agreement on Consular Assistance and Co-Operation between the Government of the Republic of Latvia, the Government of the Republic of Estonia and the Government of the Republic of Lithuania. (2019, December 6). 
 
Instituto Matías Romero (2018, October). Mexico and California’s Strategic Relationship: True Solidarity in Times of Adversity. Foreign Policy Brief 15. Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores. 
 
Mendoza Yescas, J. & Sotres Brito, X. (2022, August). Acceptance of High-Security Consular Identification Card in Arizona: An Example of Consular Diplomacy. Foreign Policy Brief 21. Instituto Matías Romero. Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores.
 

 BIBLIOGRAPHY LIST (04/23)
 
BOOKS:
 
Bada, X. & Gleeson, S. (eds.). (2019). Accountability Across Borders: Migrant Rights in North America. The University of Texas Press. 
 
Bada, X. & Gleeson, S. (2023). Scaling Migrant Worker Rights: How Advocates Collaborate and Contest State Power. The University of California Press. Especially chapter two: The Mexican Consular Network as an Advocacy Institution. OPEN ACCESS.

Berridge, G.R. (2022). Diplomacy: Theory and Practice. 6th edition. Palgrave Macmillan and the DiploFoundation. 
 
Carrigan, W.D. and Webb, C. (2013). Forgotten Dead: Mob violence against Mexicans in the United States, 1848-1928. Oxford University Press. 
 
Casey, C. A. (2020). Nationals Abroad Globalization, Individual Rights, and the Making of Modern International Law. Cambridge University Press
 
Délano Alonso, A. (2018). From here and there: Diaspora Policies, Integration, and Social Rights Beyond Borders. Oxford University Press. 
 
De Goey, F. (2014). Consuls and the Institutions of Global Capitalism. Routledge.
 
Fernández de Castro, R, (coord.). (2018). La Diplomacia Consular Mexicana en tiempos de Trump. El Colegio de la Frontera Norte & El Colegio de San Luis. (IN SPANISH)
 
Gómez Arnau, R. (1990). México y la proteccion de sus nacionales en Estados Unidos. Centro de Investigaciones sobre Estados Unidos de América, UNAM. (IN SPANISH)
 
Græger, N. and Leira, H. (eds.). (2020). The Duty of Care in International Relations: Protecting Citizens Beyond the Border. Routledge.
 
Heinsen-Roach, E. (2019). Consuls and Captives: Dutch-North African Diplomacy in the Early Modern Mediterranean. University of Rochester Press.
 
Hernández Joseph, D. (2015). Protección Consular Mexicana. Ford Foundation & Miguel Ángel Porrúa. (IN SPANISH)
 
Herz, M. F. (1983). The Consular Dimension of Diplomacy: A Symposium. Institute of the Study of Diplomacy, Georgetown University. 
 
Hofstadter, C. G. (2020). Modern Consuls, Local Communities and Globalization. Palgrave Pivot.
 
Lafleur, J.M. & Vintila, D. (2020). Migration and Social Protection in Europe and Beyond (Volume 2): Comparing Consular Services and Diaspora Policies. IMISCOE Research Series. OPEN ACCESS

Melissen, J. (2005). The New Public Diplomacy: Between Theory and Practice. In J. Melissen (ed.), The New Public Diplomacy: Soft Power in International Relations. (pp. 3-27). Palgrave MacMillan. 
 
Melissen, J. and Fernandez, A. M., (eds.) (2011). Consular Affairs and Diplomacy. Martinus Nijhoff. 
 
Moyano Pahissa, Á. (1989). Antología Protección Consular a Mexicanos en los Estados Unidos 1849-1900.Archivo Histórico Diplomático Mexicano, Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores. (IN SPANISH)
 
Muñoz Martinez, M. (2018). The Injustice Never Leaves You: Ant-Mexican Violence in Texas. Harvard University Press. 
 
Platt, D. C. M. (1971). The Cinderella Service: British Consuls since 1825. Archon Books. 
 
BOOK CHAPTERS
 
Berridge. G. R. (2022). Consulates. In G.R. Berridge, Diplomacy: Theory and Practice, (pp. 141-157). Palgrave and DiploFoundation.
 
Calva Ruíz, V. (2018). Diplomacia Consular y acercamiento con socios estratégicos. In R. Fernández de Castro (coord.), La Diplomacia Consular Mexicana en tiempos de Trump, (pp. 205-216). El Colegio de la Frontera Norte & El Colegio de San Luis. (IN SPANISH) 
 
De Moya, M. & Bravo, V. (2021). Conclusion: Lessons Learned and Future Research. In V. Bravo & M. De Moya (eds), Latin American Diasporas in Public Diplomacy, (pp. 311-324). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74564-6_13
 
Fernández de Castro, R. & Hernández Hernández, A. (2018). Introducción. In R. Fernández de Castro(coord.), La Diplomacia Consular Mexicana en tiempos de Trump, (pp. 17-25). El Colegio de la Frontera Norte & El Colegio de San Luis. (IN SPANISH)
 
Fernández Pasarin, A. M. (2016). Consulates and Consular Diplomacy. In C. Constantinou, P. Kerr & P. Sharp (eds.), The Sage Handbook of Diplomacy. Sage Publishing. 
 
Gómez Zapata, T. (2021). Civil Society as an Advocate of Mexicans and Latinos in the United States: The Chicago Case. In V. Bravo & M. De Moya (eds.), Latin American Diasporas in Public Diplomacy, (pp. 189-213). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74564-6_8
 
González Gutiérrez, C. (1997). Decentralized Diplomacy: The Role of Consular Offices in Mexico´s Relations with its Diaspora. In Rodolfo O de la Garza and Jesús Velasco (eds.), Bridging the Border: Transforming Mexico-U.S. Relations, (pp. 49-67). Rowman & Littlefield Publishers. 
 
González Gutiérrez, C. (2006). Del acercamiento a la inclusión institucional: la experiencia del Insittuto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior. In C. Gónzalez Gutiérrez (coord.), Relaciones Estado-diáspora: aproximaciones desde cuatro continentes, Tomo 1, (pp. 181-220). Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores. (IN SPANISH)
 
González Gutiérrez, C. (2018). El significado de una relación especial: las relaciones de México con Texas a la luz de su experiencia en California. In R. Fernández de Castro (coord.), La Diplomacia Consular Mexicana en tiempos de Trump, (pp. 253-269). El Colegio de la Frontera Norte & El Colegio de San Luis. (IN SPANISH)
 
Heijmans, M. y Melissen, J. (2007). MFAs and the Rising Challenge of Consular Affairs Cinderella in the Limelight. En K.S. Rana y J. Kurbalija (eds.), Foreign Ministries Managing Diplomatic Networks and Optimizing Value (pp. 192-206). Malta: DiploFoundation.
 
Laveaga Rendón, R. (2018). Mantenerse a la Vanguardia: Desafío para los Consulados de México en Estados Unidos. In R. Fernández de Castro (coord.), La Diplomacia Consular Mexicana en tiempos de Trump, (pp. 231-251). El Colegio de la Frontera Norte & El Colegio de San Luis. (IN SPANISH)
 
Leira, H. & Græger, N. (2020). Introduction: The Duty of Care in International Relations. In N. Græger & H. Leira (eds.), The Duty of Care in International Relations: Protecting Citizens Beyond the Border, (pp. 1-17). Routledge.
 
Leira, H. & Neumann, I. B. (2011). The Many Past Lives of the Consul. In J. Melissen & A. M. Fernández, (eds.), Consular Affairs and Diplomacy, (pp. 223-246). Martinus Nijhoff. https://doi.org/10.1163/ej.9789004188761.i-334.69
 
Leira, H. & Neumann, I. B. (2017). Consular Diplomacy. In P. Kerr & G. Wiseman (eds.), Diplomacy in a globalizing world: Theories and Practice. 2nd edition. Oxford University Press. 
 
Melissen, J. (2011). Introduction The Consular Dimension of Diplomacy. In J. Melissen & A. M. Fernández, (eds.), Consular Affairs and Diplomacy, (pp. 1-17). Martinus Nijhoff. https://doi.org/10.1163/ej.9789004188761.i-334.6
 
Melissen, J. (2022). Consular Diplomacy in the Era of Growing Mobility. In Christian Lequesne (ed.), Ministries of Foreign Affairs in the World. Diplomatic Series, Vol. 18. (pp. 251-262). Brill Nijhoff.

Mendoza Sánchez, J. C., & Cespedes Cantú, A. (2021). Innovating through Engagement: Mexico’s Model to Support Its Diaspora. In L. Kennedy (ed.), Routledge International Handbook of Diaspora Diplomacy. Routledge.
 
Neumann, I. and Leira, H. (2020). The evolution of the consular institution. In I. Neumann, Diplomatic Tense,(pp. 8-25). Manchester University Press. 
 
Okano-Heijmans, M. (2011). Changes in Consular Assistance and the Emergence of Consular Diplomacy. In J. Melissen & A. M. Fernández, (eds.), Consular Affairs and Diplomacy, (pp. 21-41). Martinus Nijhoff. https://doi.org/10.1163/ej.9789004188761.i-334.13
 
Okano-Heijmans, M. (2013). Consular Affairs. In A. Cooper et al., (eds.), The Oxford Handbook of Modern Diplomacy, (pp. 473-492). Oxford University Press. 
 
Rana, K. S.  (2011). The New Consular Diplomacy. In K. S. Rana, 21st Century Diplomacy. A Practitioner's Guide. Continuum.
 
Schiavon, J. A. & Ordorica R., G. (2018). Las sinergias con otras comunidades: el caso Tricamex. In R.Fernández de Castro (coord.), La Diplomacia Consular Mexicana en tiempos de Trump, (pp. 185-203). El Colegio de la Frontera Norte & El Colegio de San Luis. (IN SPANISH)
 
Torres Mendivil, R. (2018). La diplomacia consular: un paradigma de la relación México-Estados Unidos. In R.Fernández de Castro (coord.), La Diplomacia Consular Mexicana en tiempos de Trump, (pp. 109-124). El Colegio de la Frontera Norte & El Colegio de San Luis. (IN SPANISH)
 
Ulbert, J. (2011). A History of the French Consular Services. In J. Melissen & A. M. Fernández, (eds.),Consular Affairs and Diplomacy, (pp. 303-324). Martinus Nijhoff. https://doi.org/10.1163/ej.9789004188761.i-334.96
 
Valenzuela-Moreno, K. A. (2021). Transnational Social Protection and the Role of Countries of Origin: The Cases of Mexico, Guatemala, Bolivia, and Ecuador. In V. Bravo & M. De Moya (eds.), Latin American Diasporas in Public Diplomacy, (pp. 27-51). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-74564-6_2
 
JOURNAL ARTICLES
 
Bada, X., & Gleeson, S. (2015). A New Approach to Migrant Labor Rights Enforcement. Labor Studies Journal,40(1), 32-53. https://doi.org/10.1177/0160449X14565112.
 
Birka, I., Klavinš D., & Kits, R. (2022). Duty of Care: Consular Diplomacy Response of Baltic and Nordic Countries to COVID-19. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy, 17(2022), 1-32. https://doi.org/10.1163/1871191x-bja10115.
 
Bravo, V., & De Moya, M. (2018). Mexico’s public diplomacy efforts to engage its diaspora across the border: Case study of the programs, messages and strategies employed by the Mexican Embassy in the United States. Rising Powers Quarterly, 3(3), 173-193. 
 
Cárdenas Suárez, H. (2019). La política consular en Estados Unidos: protección, documentación y vinculacion con las comunidades mexicanas en el exterior. Foro Internacional, LIX(3-4), 1077-1113. https://doi.org/10.24201/fi.v59i3-4.2652. (IN SPANISH)
 
Crosbie, W. (2018). A Consular Code to Supplement the VCCR. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 13(2), 233-243. https://doi.org/10.1163/1871191X-11302019
 
Délano, A. (2009). From Limited to Active Engagement: Mexico’s Emigration Policies from a Foreign Policy Perspective. International Migration Review, 43(4), 764-814. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1747-7379.2009.00784.x.
 
Délano, A. (2014). The diffusion of diaspora engagement policies: A Latin American agenda. Political Geography, 41, 90-100. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.polgeo.2013.11.007.
 
De la Vega Wood, D. A. (2014). Diplomacia consular para el desarrollo humano: una visión desde la agenda democrática. Revista Mexicana de Política Exterior 101, May-August, 167-185. (IN SPANISH)
 
Durand, J., Massey, D. S. & Parrado, E. A. (1999). The New Era of Mexican Migration to the United States. The Journal of American History, 86(2), 518-536.
 
Gómez Maganda, G. and Kerber Palma, A. (2016). Atención con perspectiva de género para las comunidades mexicanas en el exterior. Revista Mexicana de Política Exterior, No. 107, May-August, 185-202. (IN SPANISH) 
 
González Gutiérrez, C. (1999). Fostering Identities: México´s Relations with Its Diaspora. The Journal of American History, 86(2), 545-567. https://doi.org/10.2307/2567045
 
Græger, N. & Lindgren, W. Y. (2018). The Duty of Care for Citizens Abroad: Security and Responsibility in the In Amenas and Fukushima Crises. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 13(2), 188-210. https://doi.org/10.1163/1871191X-11302009
 
Hernández Joseph, D. (2012). Mexico’s Concentration Consular Services. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy,7(2), 227-236. https://doi.org/10.1163/187119112X625556.
 
Haugevic, K. (2018). Parental Child Abduction and the State: Identity, Diplomacy and the Duty of Care. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 13(2), 167-187. https://doi.org/10.1163/1871191X-11302010
 
Leira, H. (2018). Caring and Carers: Diplomatic Personnel and the Duty of Care. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 13(2), 147-166. https://doi.org/10.1163/1871191X-11302007
 
Leira, H. and de Carvalho, B. (2021). The Intercity Origins of Diplomacy: Consuls, Empires, and the Sea. Diplomatica 3 (1), 147-156. https://doi.org/10.1163/25891774-03010008
 
Lottaz, P. (2020). Going East: Switzerland´s east consular diplomacy toward East and Southeast Asia. Traverse: Zeitschrift für Geschichte = Revue d´historie 27(1), 23-34.
 
Marina Valle, V., Gandoy Vázquez, W. L., and Valenzuela Moreno, K. A. (2020). Ventanillas de Salud: Defeating challenges in healthcare access for Mexican immigrants in the United States. Estudios Fronterizos, 21 (e043). https://doi.org/10.1080/23340460.2020.1714462
 
Márquez Lartigue, R. (2023). Beyond Traditional Boundaries: The Origins and Features of the Public-Consular Diplomacy of Mexico. Journal of Public Diplomacy 2(2), 48-68.
 
Martínez-Schuldt, R. D. (2020). Mexican Consular Protection Services across the United States: How Local Social, Economic, and Political Conditions Structure the Sociolegal Support of Emigrants. International Migration Review, 54(4), 1016-1044.
 
Melissen, J. (2020). Consular diplomacy's first challenge: Communicating assistance to nationals abroad. Asia & the Pacific Policy Studies, 7(2), 217-228. https://doi.org/10.1002/app5.298

Melissen, J. & Okano-Heijmans, M. (2018). Introduction. Diplomacy and the Duty of Care. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 13(2), 137-145. https://doi.org/10.1163/1871191X-23032072
 
Navarro Bernachi, A. (2014). La perspectiva transversal y multilateral de la protección consular. Revista Mexicana de Política Exterior (101), May-August, 81-97. (IN SPANISH)
 
Necochea López, R. (2018). Mexico´s health diplomacy and the Ventanilla de Salud program. Latino Studies(16), 482-502. https://doi.org/10.1057/s41276-018-0145-8
 
Okano-Heijmans, M. & Price, C. (2019). Providing consular services to low-skilled migrant workers: partnerships that care. Global Affairs, 5(4-5) 427-443. https://doi.org/10.1080/23340460.2020.1714462
 
Rangel Gomez, M. G., Tonda, J., Zapata, G. R., Flynn, M., Gany, F., Lara, J., Shapiro, I, & Ballesteros Rosales, C. (2017). Ventanillas de Salud: A Collaborative and Binational Health Access and Preventive Care Program. Frontiers in Public Health 5. 30 June. https://doi.org/10.3389/fpubh.2017.00151.
 
Schiavon, J. A. & Cárdenas Alaminos, N. (2014). La proteccón consular de la diáspora mexicana. Revista Mexicana de Política Exterior (101), May-August, 43-67. (IN SPANISH)
 
Torres Mendivil, R. (2014). Morfología, tradición y futuro de la práctica consular mexicana. Revista Mexicana de Política Exterior 101, May-August, 69-79. (IN SPANISH)
 
Tsinovoi, A. and Adler-Nissen, R. (2018) Inversion of the “Duty of Care”: Diplomacy and the protection of Citizens Abroad, from Pastoral Care to neoliberal Governmentality. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy (13) 2, 211-232. https://doi.org/10.1163/1871191X-11302017
 
Xia, L. (2021). Consular Protection with Chinese Characteristics: Challenges and Solutions. The Hague Journal of Diplomacy 16 (2-3), 253-274. https://doi.org/10.1163/1871191X-BJA10068.
 
Valenzuela-Moreno, K. (2019). Los consulados mexicanos en Estados Unidos: Una aproximación desde la protección social. INTERdisciplina, 7(18), 59-79. https://www.revistas.unam.mx/index.php/inter/article/view/68460/61387.
 
OTHER WORKS
 
Batalova, J. (2008). Mexican Immigrants in the United States. Migration Policy Institute. 23 April. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/mexican-immigrants-united-states-2006.
 
Bruno, A. y Storrs, K. L. (2005). Consular Identification Cards: Domestic and Foreign Policy Implications, the Mexican Case, and Related Legislation. Congressional Research Services. https://sgp.fas.org/crs/misc/RL32094.pdf.
 
Global Consular Forum. (2016). Seoul Consensus Statement on Consular Cooperation, 27 October.

González, C., Martínez, A. & Purcell, J. (2015). Report: Global Consular Forum 2015, Wilton Park, July. Global Consular Forum.
 
Haynal, G., et al. (2013). The Consular Function in the 21st Century: A report for Foreign Affairs and International Trade Canada. Munk School of Global Affairs, University of Toronto. 

Israel, E. & Batalova, J. (2020). Mexican Immigrants in the United States. Migration Policy Institute. 5 November. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/article/mexican-immigrants-united-states-2019.
 
Kunz, R. (2008). Mobilising diasporas: A governmentality analysis of the case of Mexico. Working Paper Series, “Glocal Governance and Democracy” 3. Institute of Political Science, University of Lucerne. https://zenodo.org/record/48764?ln=en#.YyZZyC2xBaR. 
 
Laglagaron, L. (2010). Protection through Integration: The Mexican Government’s Efforts to Aid Migrants in the United States. Migration Policy Institute. https://www.migrationpolicy.org/sites/default/files/publications/IME_FINAL.pdf
 
Márquez Lartigue, R. (2021). El surgimiento de la Diplomacia Consular: su interpretación desde México. Unpublished essay. (IN SPANISH)
 
Murray, L. (2013). Conference report: Contemporary consular practice trends and challenges, Wilton Park, October. Global Consular Forum. 
 
Noe-Bustamante, L., Flores, A. & Shah, S. (2019). Facts on Hispanics of Mexican origin in the United States, 2017. Pew Hispanic Center. 16 September. https://www.pewresearch.org/hispanic/fact-sheet/u-s-hispanics-facts-on-mexican-origin-latinos/. 
 
GOVERNMENT DOCUMENTS
 
Global Affairs Canada. (2017). Evaluation of the Consular Affairs Program. Diplomacy, Trade and Corporate Evaluation Division, Global Affairs Canada. https://www.international.gc.ca/gac-amc/assets/pdfs/publications/evaluation/2018/cap-pac-eng.pdf
 
Gradilone, E. (2012). Diplomacia Consular 2007 a 2012. Ministério das Relações Exteriores (Brazil) and Fundação Alexandre de Gusmão. https://funag.gov.br/biblioteca-nova/produto/1-182-diplomacia_consular_2007_a_2012

Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior. (2018). Población Mexicana en el Mundo: Estadística de la población mexicana en el mundo 2017. 23 July.http://www.ime.gob.mx/estadisticas/mundo/estadistica_poblacion_pruebas.html.
 
Instituto de los Mexicanos en el Exterior. (2021). ‘Revista “Casa de México”’. 22 January. 
https://www.gob.mx/ime/articulos/revista-casa-de-mexico.
 
Secretaría de Relaciones Exteriores. (2019). Fortalecimiento de la Atención a Mexicanos en el Exterior, Libro Blanco 2012-2018. (IN SPANISH)
 
OTHER BLOG POSTS (BESIDES THIS BLOG)
 
Márquez Lartigue, R. (2021). Public-Consular Diplomacy at its Best: The case of the Mexican Consular ID card program. CPD Blog. 4 February. https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/public-consular-diplomacy-its-best-case-mexican-consular-id-card-program.
 
Márquez Lartigue, R. (2021). Public-Consular Diplomacy That Works: Mexico’s Labor Rights Week in the U.S. CPD Blog. 6 October. https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/public-consular-diplomacy-works-mexicos-labor-rights-week-us.
 
Márquez Lartigue, R. (2022). Public-Consular Diplomacy That Heals: Binational Health Week Program. CPD Blog. 8 June. https://uscpublicdiplomacy.org/blog/public-consular-diplomacy-heals-binational-health-week-program. 
 
​Manor, I. (2022, January 25). Are Consular Tweets a New Form of Crisis Signaling? 
Exploring Digital Diplomacy blog. https://digdipblog.com/2022/01/25/are-consular-tweets-a-new-form-of-crisis-signaling/

DISCLAIMER: All views expressed on this blog are that of the author and do not represent the opinions of any other authority, agency, organization, employer, or company.

Note: This post was written in June 2022. 
 
A couple of months ago, I was lucky enough to attend the 2022 International Studies Association (ISA) Convention that took place in Nashville, Tennessee. This time, the convention was hybrid as there was a two-day online section followed by a four-day in-person gathering.
 
Participating in a convention allows you to join the global conversation about International Affairs. On this occasion, I was able to submit two papers that were accepted, one online about Mexico´s gastrodiplomacy and one in-person on Mexico´s consular diplomacy. In addition, I was the chair of a panel on diaspora diplomacy and the discussant of a poster presentation. 
 
It is a very different experience presenting a paper at a convention rather than just attending. In the former, you must prepare, polish, and finish your essay on time. Besides, you must be able to summarize your finding in no more than ten minutes. Showcasing your research is a more engaging and rewarding experience because of several reasons, including:

• Contacting fellow presenters, chairs, and discussants is crucial as you must coordinate the session. It is a great way to meet scholars working on similar, if not the same, issues as you are. 
• The discussions during the panels are critical because they provide different perspectives about your research, and most of the feedback you get will improve it. Listening to other presentations and reading their essays can also bring new ideas and perspectives that you can apply to your work. 
• The connections you make with panelists, the audience, and others can produce immediate results. For example, the chair and discussant of one of my panels put me in contact with a researcher from Europe interested in the same topic, and we had a fruitful conversation. I have read some of his work, and it was great speaking to him. 

 
Attending the convention also gives you a chance to meet great scholars. I had the opportunity to speak to Prof. Paul Sharp from the University of Minnesota at Duluth. Besides receiving two book recommendations for my class, I also got a couple of the much-sought-after “drink tickets,” which I did not know anything about because the previous convention was online due to the pandemic. You can read my experience in the this blogpost. 
 
In the Twitter feed of ISA, there were comments about having a reduced number of participants. I don´t think it was bad because it allowed attendants to interact more deeply. Of course, it was awkward to see panels with no audience or less than half of the scholars that were supposed to participate. You just have to make the most out of the situation. 
 
Being a practitioner among scholars sometimes felt a bit strange; however, having a frank discussion between the two groups could add value to the work we all do. Having a set of practitioner panels and a combination of academic and practitioner roundtables would be interesting.
 
An added value of conventions is that you go to places you would most likely never visit on your own. This was the case of Nashville, also knowns as Music City and currently a hot spot for tech companies. Everywhere, there were construction sites. And don´t get me started about the resort Gaylord Opryland Resort.
 
One thing I missed from the online convention format was that I did not have to wait 15 minutes to get an expensive cup of coffee. 
 
Attending ISA Convention in Nashville allowed me to join the global conversation on subjects that will determine the faith of many countries and maybe even the planet. 
 
DISCLAIMER: All views expressed on this blog are that of the author and do not represent the opinions of any other authority, agency, organization, employer, or company.

 
November 2022 could be a historical moment for humanity. OpenAI launched its ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence (AI) program, which is already changing our world. A leading expert, Andrew Ng, equates AI advances that will radically transform society to the arrival of electricity at the end of the 19th century (Jewell, 2019). Besides, just a couple of weeks ago, the stock of Nvidia, a semiconductor manufacturing company that produces chips for AI computing, skyrocketed 25 percent in one day (Aratani, 2023), becoming more valuable than Intel. 
 
AI has been used for some time without much hoopla. We have been using AI in the voice command assistants such as Amazon’s Alexa, Apple’s Siri and HomePod, and Google’s Home. Also, AI makes music recommendations on Spotify or for products on Amazon’s webpage. However, in November 2022, ChatGPT propelled artificial intelligence into the limelight of the tech revolution. Why? It was the first question I had after participating in the Summit on Digital Diplomacy and Governance, organized by DiploFoundation, but I did not know the answer. Fortunately, now I think I can answer the question: Because ChatGPT is a Generative AI that can produce new content, it is very easy to use and is widely accessible (it is the fastest platform to reach 100 million users). 
 
Since then, I have been trying to understand the basics of AI, but I am still struggling. Right now, there is so much information about it that it is mind-blowing to find reliable resources. Many are riding the AI wave taking advantage of its novelty and the ignorance of regular people. In this blog post, I share my understanding of AI’s basics, while another post will focus on the impact on diplomacy and other fields.
 
Warning: I have also been playing around with Google’s Bard and Microsoft’s Bing.chat on an Edge browser; therefore, you will find some of their outputs in the blog post. 
 
So, what is Artificial Intelligence?
 
According to Bing.chat: 

 My grandma Susana, or as we call her, abuelita Susana, passed away at the end of 2022 at the age of 102. This week is her birthday, and I want to honor her because she significantly influenced me.
 
Note: Some actions referred to here might be true or just family myths. Regardless they are very treasured!
 
Abuelita Susana was an extraordinary woman of the 20th century. She had a challenging but rewarding life. Susana was born in 1920, at the start of the roaring twenties and after the 1918 pandemic. 
 
One of her many attributes was that she was a fantastic storyteller, so we were always looking forward to hearing about her amazing adventures. She was a treasure  of stories.
 
One of her earliest stories was about how she spent her weekly allowance buying the “Cuentos de Calleja”. In 2021, I was lucky enough to find two compilations of his work and gave them to her. Mr. Saturnino Calleja was a best seller and icon back in the day. 
 
Abuelita Susana was a woman entrepreneur in a mid-size town in the State of Veracruz. She started selling Tupperware and later moved up the ladder and was able to pay for some amazing trips. 
 
One of her most cherished voyages was her around-the-world tour in the late 1960s. She traveled to some places that are hard to visit, even today. She went with her sister, and they started in Hawaii. Later they went to see Angkor Wat before the Khmer Rouge took over Cambodia and committed genocide. 
 
The next stop was India, where they were received with great surprise as it was uncommon to see two middle-aged women traveling without a man. Afterward, they visited Iran before the Islamic Revolution and Iraq before Saddam Hussein. They took fantastic pictures of their stop in Lebanon, the then “Paris of the East”, before the civil war tear apart the country for many decades. Their last stop was Rome, which seemed dull after the extraordinary places they had visited beforehand. 
 
The trip was extraordinary, but even more so was her ability to do it without knowing much English. She visited Paris several times, and she remembered how to get to the hotel from the famous shopping stores by memorizing the shop displays on the way because she still had to learn French.
 
Every time she returned from her travels; she gave me coins from all the countries she visited. That is how I started my coin collection and my interest in traveling. After listening to her adventures overseas, I picked up the Encyclopedia (there were no personal computers or the internet back then) and searched entries about the countries I had coins. It was then that I knew I wanted to travel like abuelita Susana, and I enjoy learning about different nations and their history. It was when I developed the love for maps that I still have today. 
 
All my grandparents had the travel bug, especially abuelita Susana, so I didn´t even question why I wanted to travel the world. Furthermore, I was so interested in different countries that I studied International Relations and later became a diplomat.
 
Another facet of her life was art. She was an inherent painter. Every summer, when all her granddaughters and grandsons spent time in her house, she had several activities, including painting classes. Below is one of her paintings.

 
As part of the "Digital Diplomacy 4.0" project, today I will write about tech diplomacy, also known as TechPlomacy.
 
In the last few months, the disruptive arrival of the now-famous ChatGPT Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) software has attracted much attention and discussion about the role of technology in society. Part of the debate has also focused on the impact of technology on diplomacy, including a new approach referred to as TechPlomacy or tech diplomacy. You can read more in my blog post Why Denmark sent a Tech Ambassador to Silicon Valley?
 
In April 2023, the DiploFoundation published the updated version of the study Tech diplomacy practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. The original version is from 2018, a year after Denmark announced the designation of the first tech ambassador, who was responsible for engaging diplomatically with tech giants like Apple, Amazon, Meta (Facebook), and Alphabet (Google) and Silicon Valley's entrepreneurial ecosystem, which includes venture capitalists, think tanks, universities, entrepreneurs, research labs, and other actors.
 
The subject seems very interesting because of several reasons: 

1. The influence of technology on world politics is immense, from cyberattacks that can change the outcome of an election to ransomware that can shut down the electric power of a country. Therefore, ministries of foreign affairs and diplomats new to adapt to these changes, as it is vital. But first, there must be some level of understanding about how technology works. Adopting tech diplomacy policies is a way to showcase their adaptability and to seek advantages before somebody else takes them away.
2. In the course I teach, I use the tech ambassador as a case study about the influence of technology on diplomacy so students understand today's diplomacy, which is increasingly done digitally. 
3. I found it intriguing why a country would designate an ambassador as its representative for a specific industry when many businesses throughout history have amazed immense power. I wanted to know why there were no Oil, Arms, or Banks Ambassadors before, but now we have envoys to Silicon Valley (Blumenthal, 2018).

 
The first question that comes to mind is why tech giants are different from other corporations. Blumenthal (2018) explains why tech giants are so powerful nowadays that countries send ambassadors to Silicon Valley. He indicates that "digital platforms govern the spaces they control. And by developing new technologies deployed as platforms, they can govern entirely new spaces before national governments are even aware." So, it is not just their vast amounts of cash or the unreal market capitalization, it is primarily their ability to control the digital space, as no other corporation did before, what separates them from the rest of the businesses.
 
The second issue would be, what is a tech diplomat? It seems an easy question, but the reality is much more complicated. Diplo's study identifies eight different tech diplomats' titles (Ittelson & Rauchbauer, 2023, p. 17). See Table 1 for a detailed view of titles. 
 
Table 1: Tech diplomatic representations in Silicon Valley.

Note: *The office has a global mandate. Source: Ittelson & Rauchbauer, 2023.

Ilan Manor, a respected digital diplomacy expert and blogger, explains that a tech diplomat should be "a diplomat who has been trained in using advance technologies, [who is] able to leverage existing technologies to obtain foreign policy goals [and] is trained in dealing with technology-related policies, such as regulating social media and combating disinformation" (Manor, 2023).
 
Denmark's experience is telling, as the first tech ambassador struggled with some tech giants. For example, the tech ambassador recalled taking off the tie to be less formal, while the tech company representative wore shorts and flip-flops (Johnson, 2019). He also referred to scheduling a meeting with a senior executive to discuss specific technology topics. To his dismay, when he arrived, he was offered a tour of the building and some company souvenirs (Satariano, 2019).
 
Later, Denmark issued the Strategy for Denmark's Tech Diplomacy 2021-2023, which expanded the responsibilities of its tech diplomacy, including issues related to democracy and security. It also made some changes, including involving more embassies and consulates, establishing an advisory board, and adding a citizens' engagement component (Government of Denmark, 2021, p. 10). It was a different perspective than when the MFA named the first tech ambassador. Listen to the podcast A Conversation with Denmark's Tech Ambassador to learn more about the current priorities (April 2023).
 
In September 2022, the European Union designated its first Senior E.U. Envoy for Digital to the U.S., posted in San Francisco's Bay area. More recently, in April 2023, the U.S. State Department's Bureau of Cyberspace and Digital Policy announced posting cyber and digital officers in every embassy and special training for diplomats. Meanwhile, "China created a network of around 140 specialised diplomats to identify and support the acquisition of emerging tech companies and technologies across the globe" (Erzse & Garson, 2022, p. 13).
 
Diplo's 2023 report on Tech diplomacy in Silicon Valley is a must-read for anybody interested in the current state of affairs. The study analyzes the practices, challenges, and opportunities. It also includes different ways countries instrument this idea. It is a bit concerning that most of them are from the Global North (Ittelson & Rauchbauer 2023 p. 17); therefore, Global South nations might be falling behind, particularly with recent extraordinary advances in artificial intelligence. But there is hope. Now Diplo and the recently established Tech Diplomacy Network offer a course on the subject to help bridge the gap. I am excited to participate in the course as a student starting this week.
 
Through practices that have lasted centuries, diplomacy and diplomats have established a common culture and even a "language" that is now codified in the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations. Tech diplomacy has yet to find a standard definition; therefore, there is still a lack of understanding and awareness on both sides, diplomats and corporate executives. However, the first step, dialogue, is being developed through these initiatives. 
 
For example, representation, one of the three functions of diplomacy, can be confusing from a corporate perspective. It is hard to know who the company represents. The logical response is that it represents the shareholders, but there are not that visible, with a few exceptions. Nowadays, many use the term stakeholders but need to be clearly defined. Usually, the Chief Executive Officer and the executive board are the ones who make decisions and can be seen as representatives of the business. However, sometimes they have a narrow vision, which significantly impacts their operations. Look at what they did to Twitter a few months ago.
 
Technology is evolving extremely fast, and governments, societies, and diplomats are lagging. There is a greater push for regulation and ethical usage to avoid the continuation and expansion of disparities, discriminatory practices, and even human rights violations and the deterioration of democracy. It is comforting that, thru different schemes and venues, there is a greater dialogue between the tech giants and governments. This conversation should also include civil society, particularly from diverse backgrounds, to find real solutions to today's challenges. 
 
Diplomats and MFAs need to shake up and embrace technology, not only in the West but across the globe. Manor proposes the creation of a Digital Desk that "would run an MFA's digital activity [including] oversee consultations in UNESCO dealing with ethical A.I. development…and formulate digital policies" (2023). This could be the starting point for a new, inclusive Tech diplomacy. 
 
In the next delivery of the "Digital Diplomacy 4.0" project, I write about the basics of A.I. and later on about the link between diplomacy and A.I,
 
Below is a list of some resources on Tech diplomacy that can be useful for anybody interested in the topic. Let me know if I missed one, or send your suggestion via comments or email. 
 
RESOURCES ON TECH DIPLOMACY:
 
Online course: 
Tech Diplomacy. The DiploFoundation. 
 
Research Center
Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue University, U.S.
 
Network
Tech Diplomacy Network. A joint effort by Berggruen Institute, the World Economic Forum (C4IR), the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, and DiploFoundation. 
 
Interview with Denmark's Tech Ambassador (Podcast):
Radsch, C. (Host) (2023, April 23). A Conversation with Denmark's Tech Ambassador -Anne Marie Engtoft Larsen-. Audio Podcast Episode, Tech Policy Press. 
 
Studies and articles: 
 
Erzse, A. & Garson, M. (2022). A leader's guide to building a tech-forward foreign policy. Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. 
 
Garcia, E. V. (2022, June 14). What is tech diplomacy? A very short definition. Beyond the Horizon Blog.
 
Gruver, P. (2022). Korea-U.S. international exchange and cooperation in tech diplomacy; Tech diplomacy: Tech companies as power brokers in the digital age. Pacific Council on International Policy. 
 
Höne, K. (2023, March 6). What is Tech Diplomacy? Israel Public Policy Institute. 
 
Ittelson, P. & Rauchbauer, M. (2023). Tech diplomacy practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. The DiploFoundation.
 
Klynge, C., Ekman, M. & Juncher Waedegaard, N. (2022). Diplomacy in the Digital Age: Lesson from Denmark's TechPlomacy Initiative. In Christian Lequesne, Ministries of Foreign Affairs in the World: Actors of State Diplomacy, (pp. 263-272). Brill.
 
Manor, I. (2023, April 25). What is a Tech Diplomat? Exploring Digital Diplomacy Blog (Digdipblog).
 
Mind the Bridge. (2022). Government innovation outposts in Silicon Valley: 2022 report update. 
 
REFERENCES
 
Blumenthal, P. (2018, June 23). Big tech companies are so powerful that a Nation sent an Ambassador to them. Huffington Post.
Government of Denmark. (2021). Strategy for Denmark's Tech Diplomacy 2021-2023.
Ittelson, P. & Rauchbauer, M. (2023). Tech diplomacy practice in the San Francisco Bay Area. The DiploFoundation.
Johnson, K. (2019, October 8). Tech giants, small countries, and the future of techplomacy. Venture Beat.
Satariano, A. (2019, September 3). The world's first Ambassador to the tech industry. The New York Times.
 
DISCLAIMER: All views expressed on this blog are that of the author and do not represent the opinions of any other authority, agency, organization, employer or company.
​