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Last week, The Economist published a review of the burgeoning AI companion industry. The companion industry is gaining momentum globally, with individuals either customizing existing platforms like ChatGPT into romantic partners, with specified ages, professions (such as tech executive), and personality traits encompassing wit, dry humour, and an appreciation for romantic comedies. Others turn to... Continue Reading →
In recent months, a growing number of news articles have focused on the practice of prompt busting- a technique used to overcome AI guardrails. According to ChatGPT, guardrails are “rules, systems, and safeguards built into an artificial intelligence model to ensure that it behaves safely, ethically, and reliably.” The goal of prompt busting is to... Continue Reading →
The digitalization of diplomacy has led to profound changes in MFAs (ministries of foreign affairs) across the world. This change has structural, normative, and practical dimensions. Structurally, most MFAs now have digital units tasked with authoring digital content and analyzing the social media output of other actors. In many MFAs, social media is used as... Continue Reading →
In a previous blog post, I sought to examine a possible Country-of-Origin Effect in Generative AI applications. In the late 1990’s nation branding scholars began exploring the Country-of-Origin Effect. Rooted in marketing research, the Country-of-Origin Effect suggested that consumer labels impact individuals’ willingness to buy products. For example, the “Made in China” label was once... Continue Reading →
Power is often defined as the ability to direct or influence the behavior of others or the course of events. An interesting question is whether AI has power and how this power is exercised. One way in which the power of AI may be conceptualized is the ability of Generative AIs such as ChatGPT to... Continue Reading →
Scholars have long since asserted that nations have images. Although scholars differ on what these images consist of, and whether these images can be managed, they nonetheless agree that like consumer brands, nations elicit cognitive associations in people's minds. Upon hearing the name “Germany”, for example, certain associations may spring to people’s minds be it... Continue Reading →
In recent years diplomats have increasingly employed pop culture in their digital communications. Some nations, for instance, celebrate Star Wars Day on May the 4th tweeting at their followers. Others employ pop culture memes when attempting to shape global public opinion. Countries such as Ukraine, Russia, Israel and the UK have all relied in popular... Continue Reading →
Werner Heisenberg’s uncertainty principle is considered the cornerstone of quantum mechanics. Heisenberg famously argued that quantum particles are subject to unpredictable fluctuations, making them impossible to track precisely. The position and momentum of an electron, for example, are subject to unpredictable fluctuations and as such cannot be measured exactly. Even more complex is the understating... Continue Reading →
On May 8th, the world celebrated the 80th anniversary of the end of World War II. It was, for many, a solemn day. The end of World War II was meant to usher in a new dawn of stability and harmony amongst the nations of the world. The struggle to defeat Nazi Germany symbolized victory... Continue Reading →
Diplomacy hinges on credibility. As Ben Mor aptly notes, “being perceived as honest and reliable is a necessary condition for obtaining and holding the attention of target audiences, as well as for effective persuasion.” States that are perceived as duplicitous or deceptive struggle to engage with global publics, let alone persuade them to accept their... Continue Reading →
Exploring Digital Diplomacy 