نوع مقاله : مقاله پژوهشی

نویسندگان

• علیرضا کوهکن ¹
• فاطمه عسکریان ²

¹ دانشیار گروه روابط بین‌الملل، دانشکده حقوق و علوم سیاسی دانشگاه علامه طباطبائی، تهران، ایران.

² دانشجوی کارشناسی ارشد گروه روابط بین‌الملل دانشکده حقوق و علوم سیاسی دانشگاه علامه‌طباطبائی، تهران، ایران.

چکیده

امروزه هوش مصنوعی به‌عنوان پیشران انقلاب صنعتی چهارم شناخته می‌شود. با ظهور این فناوری سبک زندگی فردی تا مباحث و مشکلات کلان جامعه دچار تغییرات عظیم شده است. این فناوری حتی پا را از این فراتر نهاده و به ابزاری برای رقابت کشورها جهت کسب قدرت بیشتر شده و تحولات اساسی در میان روابط بین کشورها ایجاد کرده است. این پژوهش به بررسی نقش هوش مصنوعی در بازتعریف روابط جهانی در نظم بین‌المللی نوین و همچنین فرصت‌ها و چالش‌های پیشرو می‌پردازد. سؤال پژوهش حاضر این است که هوش مصنوعی از طریق چه سازوکارهایی موجب گذار از روابط بین‌الملل دولت‌محور به روابط جهانی چند سطحی شده است؟ فرضیه مقاله این است که: هوش مصنوعی با بازتعریف مفاهیم قدرت، عاملیت و کنشگری و با تضعیف انحصار دولت‌ها در روابط بین‌الملل موجب گذار از روابط بین‌الملل دولت‌محور به روابط جهانی چند سطحی شده است. یافته‌های مقاله حاکی از آن است که در حوزه روابط اقتصادی هوش مصنوعی به ابزار شکاف قدرت میان کشورهای توسعه‌یافته و درحال‌توسعه تبدیل شده است، در حوزه روابط سیاسی این فناوری قابلیت گسترش ارتباطات دیپلماتیک میان کشورها را دارد همچنین قادر است وقوع رخدادهای سیاسی را تا چند روز قبل از وقوع پیش‌بینی کند این منجر به بازتعریف مفاهیم قدرت و اقتدار در عصر آینده خواهد شد. در حوزه روابط فرهنگی هوش مصنوعی قابلیت گسترده‌ای در آموزش زبان و فهم تنوع فرهنگی در میان کاربران کشورهای مختلف دارد و تبدیل به ابزاری در جهت تسهیل گسترش دیپلماسی فرهنگی کشورهای مختلف شده است. در حوزه روابط امنیتی هوش مصنوعی به ابزار رقابت راهبردی میان کشورهای مختلف تبدیل شده و ایجاد تحولی عمیق در نظم بین‌المللی جدید را نوید می‌دهد. روش پژوهش حاضر توصیفی-تحلیلی بوده و داده‌ها به روش اسنادی-آرشیوی گردآوری شده است.

کلیدواژه‌ها

• هوش مصنوعی
• روابط جهانی
• قدرت
• پیش‌بینی

موضوعات

• روابط بین الملل

عنوان مقاله [English]

Artificial Intelligence and the Redefinition of Global Relations in the New International Order

نویسندگان [English]

• Alireza Koohkan ¹
• Fatemeh Asgarian ²

¹ Associate Professor, Department of International Relations, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran.

² M.A Student, Department of International Relations, Faculty of Law and Political Science, Allameh Tabataba’i University, Tehran, Iran .

چکیده [English]

Introduction
Artificial Intelligence (AI) has emerged as one of the most influential driving forces of the Fourth Industrial Revolution and has profoundly transformed various dimensions of human life, from individual lifestyles to macro-level social, economic, political, and security structures. Beyond its technological nature, AI has increasingly become a strategic instrument in global competition for power, shaping new patterns of interaction among states and non-state actors. This transformation has raised fundamental questions within the field of International Relations (IR), particularly regarding the traditional state-centric understanding of global politics.
Classical and neorealist approaches to International Relations emphasize the centrality of the state as the primary actor in global affairs and conceptualize power mainly in military and material terms. However, recent scholarship has highlighted the limitations of this perspective in explaining contemporary global dynamics driven by emerging technologies. Studies on digital power, algorithmic governance, and technological sovereignty suggest that Artificial Intelligence challenges traditional notions of power, agency, and authority by enabling new actors—such as multinational technology corporations, transnational networks, and even intelligent systems—to influence global relations.
Existing literature has examined AI’s implications in specific domains, including economic competitiveness, military modernization, cybersecurity, and governance. Nevertheless, there remains a theoretical and analytical gap regarding how Artificial Intelligence collectively contributes to abroader transition from state-centric international relations to a multi-level system of global relations. This study seeks to address this gap by analyzing the mechanisms through which AI reshapes global relations and redistributes power across multiple levels of interaction.
Research Objectives
The main objective of this research is to examine the role of Artificial Intelligence in redefining global relations within the emerging international order. Specifically, the study aims to analyze how AI contributes to the transformation of power, agency, and actorness in global relations and how it weakens the exclusive dominance of states in international politics.
The central research question guiding this study is: Through which mechanisms does Artificial Intelligence facilitate the transition from state-centric international relations to multi-level global relations? Based on this question, the research advances the following hypothesis: Artificial Intelligence, by redefining the concepts of power, agency, and political action, and by undermining the monopoly of states in international relations, contributes to a transition from state-centric international relations toward multi-level global relations. By addressing this objective, the study seeks to contribute to the theoretical debates in International Relations and Global Studies concerning technological change, global power shifts, and the future of the international order.
Research Methodology
This research adopts a descriptive–analytical methodology. Data have been collected using documentary and archival methods, including academic books, peer-reviewed journal articles, policy reports, and publications from international organizations related to Artificial Intelligence and global relations.
The analytical framework of the study integrates insights from International Relations theory, particularly debates on power transformation, global governance, and multi-level analysis. Artificial Intelligence is examined as an independent variable influencing various domains of global relations—economic, political, cultural, and security—while changes in power distribution and patterns of interaction serve as the dependent variables.
Through qualitative analysis of existing documents and theoretical interpretations, the study identifies key mechanisms through which AI reshapes global relations and contributes to the emergence of a multi-level global system.
Research Findings
The findings of the research indicate that Artificial Intelligence plays a significant and multidimensional role in transforming global relations across four major domains:
Economic Relations: In the economic sphere, Artificial Intelligence has become a critical source of power and competitiveness. Advanced AI capabilities are predominantly concentrated in developed countries, leading to an increasing power gap between developed and developing states. This technological asymmetry reinforces existing global inequalities and creates new forms of dependency. AI-driven economic power reshapes global value chains, trade patterns, and financial systems, thereby redefining economic relations at both state and non-state levels.
Political Relations: In the political domain, Artificial Intelligence enhances diplomatic communication and decision-making processes. AI-based data analysis and prediction tools enable governments and international actors to anticipate political events, crises, and conflicts several days before their occurrence. This predictive capacity contributes to a redefinition of political power and authority, as those who control AI technologies gain strategic advantages in agenda-setting, crisis management, and diplomacy.
Cultural Relations: In the cultural sphere, Artificial Intelligence facilitates cross-cultural communication through language education, automated translation, and enhanced understanding of cultural diversity. These capabilities support the expansion of cultural diplomacy and soft power by enabling states and non-state actors to engage with foreign societies more effectively. As a result, AI contributes to the diffusion of cultural influence beyond traditional state-controlled channels.
Security Relations: In the security domain, Artificial Intelligence has become a central element of strategic competition among states. AI-driven military technologies, surveillance systems, and cyber capabilities intensify global rivalries and signal profound transformations in the emerging international order. AI reshapes the nature of security threats and defense strategies, reinforcing the shift toward a technologically driven balance of power.
Overall, the findings demonstrate that Artificial Intelligence operates as a transformative force that redistributes power and agency across multiple levels of global relations.
Discussion
The findings of this study indicate that Artificial Intelligence plays a decisive role in the transition from state-centric international relations to multi-level global relations by transforming power and agency across economic, political, cultural, and security domains. Rather than operating merely as a technological tool, AI functions as a structural force that reshapes global interactions and redistributes authority among states and non-state actors.
In the economic domain, Artificial Intelligence has intensified inequalities between developed and developing countries. Advanced economies have successfully integrated AI into trade policy design and economic diplomacy, enhancing exports and competitiveness, while many developing states remain marginalized due to limited technological capacity and data access. This asymmetry reflects a shift in economic power from material resources toward data and algorithmic control.
Politically, AI introduces a dual dynamic. Its predictive capabilities enable policymakers to anticipate political events and manage crises more effectively, yet its potential for data manipulation and opinion control also facilitates digital authoritarianism. Consequently, political power is increasingly exercised through control over algorithms and information flows rather than solely through formal state institutions.
In the cultural sphere, Artificial Intelligence expands opportunities for cultural diplomacy by facilitating language learning and cross-cultural communication. However, algorithmic bias remains a significant challenge, as biased systems may reproduce cultural stereotypes and undermine global cultural engagement.
From a security perspective, Artificial Intelligence has become a key arena of strategic competition. Control over advanced AI models and data infrastructures increasingly determines security power, signaling a profound transformation in the emerging international order.
Overall, Artificial Intelligence accelerates the transnationalization of power and agency by empowering technology firms, digital platforms, and global users alongside states. This redistribution of authority clearly demonstrates a shift toward multi-level global relations and challenges traditional state-centric approaches in International Relations.
Conclusion
This study concludes that Artificial Intelligence is not merely a technological innovation but a structural force reshaping the foundations of global relations. By redefining power, agency, and actorness, AI undermines the traditional state-centric framework of international relations and accelerates the transition toward a multi-level global system.
The research confirms the proposed hypothesis by demonstrating that Artificial Intelligence weakens the exclusive dominance of states and empowers new actors in economic, political, cultural, and security domains. Consequently, global relations in the emerging international order are increasingly shaped by complex interactions among states, non-state actors, and technological systems. Understanding the role of Artificial Intelligence in global relations is therefore essential for rethinking theoretical approaches in International Relations and for designing effective policies in an increasingly AI-driven world.

کلیدواژه‌ها [English]

• Artificial Intelligence
• Global Relations
• Power
• Prediction