I returned from the 65th Convention of the International Studies Association that took place a few weeks ago in San Francisco. Participating in the convention gets better every time you do it. From my very anxious first-time attendance in Nashville in 2021 to the 2024 convention, it feels like light years of difference! So, it is worth considering attending constantly to get the most out of every convention. 
 
So, in San Francisco, even though I am a practitioner in a sea of academics, I did not feel uncomfortable as in previous experiences. In several panels, some welcomed the participation of practitioners.
 
Choosing which panels to attend was extremely difficult, as there were many great offerings. However, I want to highlight “Public Diplomacy in Other Words” and " Tech Diplomacy: Challenges and Opportunities.” 
 
Public Diplomacy in Other Words
 
The first one was organized by Kadir Jun Ayhan, a professor at Ewha Womans University and editor-in-chief of the Journal of Public Diplomacy. In a conscious effort to promote different perspectives from the Anglo-speaking world that dominates the literature on Public Diplomacy, Kadir led an effort to review articles published in various languages. 
 
Those who attended the session were fortunate to hear an analysis of public diplomacy articles published in Chinese, French, Russian, Turkish, and Indonesian. Luckily for those who could not participate in the session, the Journal of Public Diplomacy will publish a special edition with additional languages. So, make sure you look for it in the summer.
 
Looking into the production of articles about the topic in other languages is an excellent idea for anybody interested in public diplomacy. There is a greater need for diversity of perspectives. 
 
The effort faced a significant challenge because the term in some languages has different meanings, so they had to agree to focus on the term Public Diplomacy. Besides, in many instances, country brand and soft power are used interchangeably with public diplomacy, thus complicating the analysis. 
 
Tech Diplomacy: Challenges and Opportunities
 
The second panel, titled “Tech Diplomacy: Challenges and Opportunities,” had most of the panelists coming from UK universities, which was quite interesting for the different perspectives of US-based scholars. The panel showcased how much the term Tech Diplomacy has changed since Denmark designated the first Tech Ambassador in 2017. Check out my previous posts: digital-diplomacy-40-tech-diplomacy.html and why-denmark-sent-a-tech-ambassador-to-silicon-valley.html
 
The hype AI has caused, together with different efforts to regulate machine learning and the ever-growing concentration of power by tech companies, has changed the whole environment of tech diplomacy today. 
 
There was a meaningful discussion about how MFAs and other ministries deal with the issue. In some instances, they have established new departments and designs. It highlighted the existing divide between cyber and tech diplomacies and the competition these areas now have inside and outside the ministries. In most countries of the Global South, there are no known Tech Ambassadors or Tech Envoys except for Brazil, the great diplomat Eugenio V. Garcia. 
 
One of the reasons why I attended that panel was that Prof. Andre Barrinha from the University of Bath was the panel's co-chair.  He recently wrote a magnificent article titled “Cyber-diplomacy: The Emergence of Transient Field” (it is open access). 
 
In the article, in a succinct but exquisite way, Prof. Barrinha explains how some policies, such as cyber security, become part of the realm of diplomats. It is an excellent explanation of how actors engage in diplomatic functions without officially being diplomats. Diplomatization is the keyword here. I encourage to read it to everybody interested in understanding how certain topics and actors turn into a diplomatic world. 
 
Conventions are like the Oscars, where you can find all the film stars you love in one place. The difference is that most well-known academics are more approachable and always open to conversation.
 
The number of international participants was encouraging. Still, it was deplorable to see that some fantastic panels, such as “Passport Inequality: Research and Conference Travel Challenges for Global South Scholars” and the one on women in academia, did not have a quorum. I am sure other ways exist to get the word out on these critical topics.
 
To everybody´s delight, there was an array of psychedelic carpets to look at on the different floors, towers, and hotels where the convention was held. The free coffee at the exhibition´s coffee breaks was one of the best I had at a convention! Congratulations to the sponsors who gave us the necessary caffeine to withstand the whirlwind of activities. 
 
I am always optimistic, but the situation on the streets of San Francisco makes me wonder how, in one of the wealthiest metropolitan areas of the world, a few miles from the extraordinarily powerful and wealthy tech industry, the government and the people cannot find a solution for all the persons who are on the street fighting additions and homelessness. What will the future bring if this happens in San Francisco? Let´s think about the people in Gaza, Ukraine, Afghanistan, and other nations that have been left behind and nearly forgotten. The ply of the people of San Francisco calls for us to find a solution to the inequality problem in the world. Humanity cannot truly advance if people are hungry, homeless, and fighting all sorts of issues. 
 
Seeing more scholars from Mexico and other Latin American countries attending was encouraging. I was delighted to meet and talk with many great scholars from Latin America and Spain.
 
I hope to see you all in Chicago in 2025. 

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

 






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 (AI) 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 advanced 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 it needs 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, through 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 will write about the basics of AI and, later on, about the link between diplomacy and A.I.diplomacy-40-how-artificial-intelligence-is-changing-diplomacy.html.
 
You can read more about the power of tech giants in my blog post about AI and geopolitics here: diplomacy-40-navigating-the-ai-era-geopolitics-diplomacy-and-the-power-of-artificial-intelligence.html

Do not forget to read some other posts about the subject: 
 

• Diplomacy and Technology: The future is happening now (January 18, 2023) 
• Digital Diplomacy 4.0: The Future is Now (May 2, 2023) 
• Digital Diplomacy 4.0: The Basics of Artificial Intelligence (June 7, 2023)
• Digital Diplomacy 4.0: How Artificial Intelligence is Changing Diplomacy? (August 20, 2023)
• Diplomacy 4.0: The Rise of Artificial Intelligence as a Subject of Diplomatic Negotiations (November 20, 2023)

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 the Berggruen Institute, the World Economic Forum (C4IR), the Bay Area Council Economic Institute, and the 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: 
 
Bremmer, I. & Kupchan, C. (2022, January 3). Risk 2: Technopolar World. Top Risks 2022. p. 5-6. Euroasian Group.

Erzse, A. & Garson, M. (2022). A leader's guide to building a tech-forward foreign policy. Tony Blair Institute for Global Change. 
 
Farrow, R. (2023, August 21). Elon Musk´s Shadow Rule. How the U.S. government came to rely on the tech billionaire—and is now struggling to rein him in. The New Yorker.

Garcia, E. V. (2022, June 14). What is tech diplomacy? A very short definition. Beyond the Horizon Blog.
 
Giles, K. (2023, September 12). Tech giants hold huge sway in matters of war, life and death. That should concern us all. The Guardian. 

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).
 
Marcus, G. (2023, November 23). Critical national security questions should not be decided unilaterally by unelected tech leaders. Marcus at AI.

Matania, E. & Sommer, U. (2023, November 20). Tech titans, cyber commons and the war in Ukraine: An incipient shift in international relations. International Relations, 0 (0). https://doi.org/10.1177/00471178231211500

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.
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