Diplo Blog
On the origins of ideas
11 April 2025
Do ideas have origins? From medieval communes to WWI, Aldo Matteucci shows how political thought, like a river, is shaped by experience, institutions, and historical context — not just theory.
Don’t waste the crisis: How AI can help reinvent International Geneva
10 April 2025
International Geneva faces significant challenges, including financial constraints, waning multilateralism, and escalating geopolitical tensions. To remain relevant, it must embrace transformative changes, particularly through Artificial Intelligence (AI). AI can revitalize Geneva's humanitarian efforts, modernize knowledge sharing, and prepare the workforce for the AI-driven future. Proactive strategies should prioritize reskilling, adapting organizational structures to integrate AI, and codifying local knowledge. Furthermore, Geneva has the opportunity to lead in human-centered AI governance, addressing ethical concerns while leveraging its rich legacy. This crisis presents a crucial moment for reinvention through accessible and actionable AI initiatives.
Navigating the AI maze: How to choose the right AI platform or tool
09 April 2025
With over 10,000 AI applications available, selecting the right AI tool can be daunting. Diplo advocates starting with a 'good enough' tool to avoid paralysis by analysis, tailoring it to specific needs through practical use. Their experience with financial AI agents, specifically in analyzing the impact of US tariffs on Novartis, highlights how specialized tools outperform general models by leveraging deep domain expertise, real-time data, and precise calculations. This journey illustrates the importance of understanding AI options and reinforces the effectiveness of targeted, practical approaches to leverage AI capabilities in business scenarios.
Algorithms confront tariffs: A hidden digital front in an emerging trade war
04 April 2025
AI diplomacy, Artificial Intelligence, Digital diplomacy, Economic, Economic diplomacy, Trade diplomacy
President Trump's tariffs on goods have intensified global trade tensions, notably with the EU. However, they largely ignore the critical sector of digital services, where the US holds a strong advantage. In response, European nations have proposed digital services taxes (DSTs) aimed at American tech giants, framing them as necessary for fiscal fairness. The collapse of OECD negotiations has prompted unilateral digital taxes across various countries, escalating the trade conflict. This shift towards digital taxation could redefine international trade diplomacy, posing challenges for US tech dominance and potentially leading to retaliation that affects both goods and digital markets.
Digital sovereignty: The end of the open internet as we know it? (Part 1)
03 April 2025
Economic, Geopolitics, Globalisation, International relations and diplomacy, Internet governance and digital policy, Security
The concept of digital sovereignty has gained prominence. This discussion examines the tension between territorial politics and transborder digital operations, highlighting how demands for autonomy reflect a desire to navigate external influences within an interconnected digital landscape. As sovereignty claims become entwined with security narratives, the necessity to socially anchor digital sovereignty policies is emphasized.
The Hidden Influence: How Lwów–Warsaw School shaped AI developments
01 April 2025
The Lvov-Warsaw School, founded in the late 19th century by Kazimierz Twardowski, has made lasting contributions to philosophy highly relevant to modern AI. The school’s work in logic and semantics provides essential tools for AI, while its analytical approach offers insights into ethical challenges.
The strategy of provocation
01 April 2025
An ermine plays peek-a-boo from a rotting tree. Cute? Maybe. But it might also be a calculated survival tactic. Aldo Matteucci explores provocation in the wild – and its unsettling parallel in human behaviour.
Is AI the key to nuclear renaissance?
27 March 2025
Artificial Intelligence, Energy diplomacy, Nuclear diplomacy
As AI’s energy demands surge, nuclear power is emerging as a key solution to sustain its growth while minimising carbon emissions. Tech giants like Microsoft, Google, and Amazon are investing heavily in nuclear energy to power AI-driven data centres, signalling a potential nuclear renaissance in the age of artificial intelligence.
Part 6: Governing the metaverse through standards
No system works without standards – not cities, not cyberspace. As the metaverse grows, it needs rules that go beyond code. Read Part 6 of the new metaverse blog series: UN 2.0 and the Metaverse: Are We Seeing What Is Possible?
Do we have a moral obligation to save wild bees?
23 March 2025
Only 2% of wild bees do 80% of the pollination. Should we still save the other 700 species? The debate is not just ecological – it’s moral vs economic.
