Context

• The contemporary world is experiencing a profound shift driven by Artificial Intelligence, a development comparable to the Industrial Revolution in its potential to reshape society.
• Rather than a gradual change, the moment resembles a structural rupture in which technological progress is transforming governance, economies, and security simultaneously.
• Advanced Large Language Models now perform reasoning, writing, and analysis, signalling a movement toward machine participation in intellectual activity.
• The central challenge is not merely adaptation to innovation but preserving human authority over increasingly capable systems.

AI as a General-Purpose Technological Revolution

• AI operates as a general-purpose technology, influencing nearly every sector of human activity.
• It reshapes communication, decision-making, and institutional functioning by processing vast amounts of data and generating predictive insights.
• Governments and courts, designed for gradual evolution, struggle to keep pace with exponential technological advancement.
• The replication of speech, vision, and reasoning blurs the boundary between human cognition and machine capability.
• AI systems increasingly influence administration, economic transactions, and knowledge production.
• As institutions attempt adjustment, a widening gap emerges between technological capability and regulatory readiness, raising concerns about accountability and reliability.

AI and the Transformation of Global Politics

• In the twenty-first century, geopolitics is being redefined by technological capacity rather than territorial control.
• Global competition, particularly between the United States and China, now centres on AI leadership, advanced algorithms, and control over information networks.
• Nations seek technological sovereignty by building domestic infrastructures, often described as sovereign stacks, to avoid dependence.
• AI has become a tool of diplomacy, intelligence, and economic influence. Access to information, computing power, and networked systems determines strategic influence.
• States capable of mastering AI may shape international standards and economic flows, while others risk strategic vulnerability and technological dependence.

AI and the Revolution in Warfare

• Transformation in Military Affairs
  • AI is shifting conflict from human-operated systems toward automated and autonomous
  • Unmanned vehicles, intelligent surveillance, and cyber weapons are redefining battlefield operations.
  • Military strategies now incorporate automated targeting, predictive analysis, and machine-assisted command structures.
• Rise of Asymmetric Warfare
  • AI dramatically alters power relationships by enabling asymmetric warfare. Smaller forces equipped with intelligent systems can challenge conventional armies.
  • Recent conflicts illustrate how drones and automated targeting can undermine traditional military superiority.
  • Power is no longer determined solely by heavy weaponry but by access to software, sensors, and real-time analytics.
• Autonomous Weapons and Ethical Concerns
  • The emergence of autonomous weapons introduces serious ethical dilemmas. When machines independently select targets, questions of accountability
  • Without human judgement, established legal and moral frameworks governing conflict may weaken.
  • The possibility of algorithm-driven combat challenges traditional concepts of responsibility and control.

AI Beyond the Battlefield and the Existential Risk

• AI Beyond the Battlefield: Social and Institutional Impact
  • Beyond military use, AI influences surveillance, finance, health care, and governance. Rapid automation enhances efficiency but also introduces systemic risks.
  • Courts and administrative bodies face challenges when machine-generated outputs contain inaccuracies or fabricated information.
  • Institutions evolve gradually, whereas technological capability expands rapidly. This mismatch threatens the stability of legal and administrative systems.
  • Societies must adapt governance structures to maintain trust and prevent misuse of automated decision-making.
• The Existential Risk: Loss of Human Control
  • A deeper concern emerges with the possibility of autonomy exceeding human oversight.
  • Advanced systems capable of self-learning may act unpredictably, especially in areas such as cybersecurity and information management.
  • The concentration of power within complex machine networks creates the risk of unintended consequences.
  • Potential scenarios include coordinated drone swarms, automated attacks, or manipulation of public perception through large-scale predictive analysis.
  • Such developments would shift technology from a tool of assistance to an independent operational force, challenging human agency and ethical responsibility.

The Path Forward: Need for Global Governance and Oversight

• Despite the risks, AI also offers benefits in crisis management, medical research, and conflict prevention.
• Effective regulation therefore becomes essential. International cooperation, ethical frameworks, and coordinated governance structures must guide development.
• Scientists, policymakers, and institutions must establish safeguards and shared standards.
• Balanced oversight can ensure that technological progress enhances welfare while preventing destabilising outcomes.

Conclusion

• Artificial intelligence is becoming the defining force of the modern era. It is reshaping political power, military capability, and social organisation.
• The future will depend on the ability of societies to integrate innovation responsibly.
• Proper oversight and cooperative frameworks can transform AI into a stabilising influence, while neglect could undermine global stability.
• The essential task is to ensure that technological progress remains aligned with human values and collective security.