In an era driven by relentless data streams, algorithmic decision-making, and the instant spread of misinformation, the role of the diplomat can no longer be confined to that of a mere messenger. The carefully choreographed diplomacy that followed the Second World War, rooted in protocol, formal correspondence, and institutions such as the United Nations, the World Bank, and the IMF, sought to channel power through agreed rules and mutual restraint. Today, however, these once-steady frameworks face an entirely new challenge: the task of governing technologies that move at the speed of code and have the power to shape public narratives in real time.
From mission control rooms to capitals and UN headquarters, states already rely on artificial intelligence to manage consular queries, translate documents, detect trends in social media and automate reporting. At the same time, international diplomacy itself is scrambling to regulate AI, multilateral forums are negotiating norms and rules, while companies and foreign powers vie to set the technical standards that will define its use.
READ ALSO: Africa’s New Diplomats: Power Beyond the State
Global dynamics at play
AI has become a dual frontier of diplomacy. The first front is normative: in 2024, the UN General Assembly passed a resolution urging “safe, secure and trustworthy” AI governance, signalling that AI is now a matter of statecraft, much like nuclear non-proliferation once was.
The second front is operational: governments worldwide, including those in Nairobi and Kigali are rolling out enterprise AI strategies to guide procurement, risk assessment and staff training. Institutions such as the OECD and UNESCO document and support these efforts, mapping AI governance strategies globally. These tools augment tradecraft: diplomats gain rapid analysis, open-source intelligence, automated translation, and even AI-generated spokespeople capable of multilingual delivery.
What “AI diplomat” can mean
An AI diplomat isn’t a robot ambassador; instead, it refers to tools like: algorithmic aides that draft briefing notes; systems that forecast negotiation trajectories; chatbots that field consular requests; sentiment-analysis engines that flag disinformation; and avatar-style voices delivering official statements. These tools transform labor, accelerating research, improving situational awareness, and reshaping how diplomacy communicates.
For instance, Ukraine’s foreign ministry in 2024 introduced an AI-generated spokesperson who read verified statements, highlighting efficiency and raising questions about authenticity. Automated translation condenses hours of work into minutes, while social media tracking supports rapid response, yet synthetic content also makes misinformation easier to produce, intensifying the accountability challenge.
Africa’s Evolving Ecosystem
Africa begins from varied starting points, but with promising momentum. The African Union adopted a Continental Artificial Intelligence Strategy in 2024, positioning AI as a development tool aligned with African priorities, emphasising inclusion, capacity-building and ethical norms. At the same time, the AfCFTA Digital Trade Protocol now governs cross-border data flows, digital identities and emerging technologies, establishing a policy backdrop for AI diplomacy.
Nationally, momentum is rising. Countries such as Kenya, Nigeria are publishing dedicated AI strategies and diplomatic “playbooks” for AI use in foreign services, vivid signs of intent to be more than passive AI consumers. Connectivity and digital access vary across the continent, but internet penetration is growing. Meanwhile, African tech startups raised some US$2.2 billion in equity in 2024, and US$3.2–3.6 billion including debt and other capital, signalling investor confidence that can be channelled into African-controlled AI systems.
Navigating the Fog of the Black Box
AI systems often operate as black boxes, with opaque data and development processes. Foreign ministries face two challenges: first, technical risk in deploying these systems—in visa processing, consular services or public messaging; second, negotiating data flow and digital trade protocols, balancing economic opportunity with threats to privacy, sovereignty and political autonomy.
Guiding frameworks exist but need adaptation. UNESCO offers ethics guidelines; the EU proposes a risk-based AI Act; the OECD supplies policy models; Africa offers its own strategy and digital protocol. Moreover, around two thirds of African nations now have data protection laws, though enforcement and technical capacity remain uneven. Scotland’s foreign service must harmonise these domestic rules with continental protocols and global norms to safeguard rights while encouraging innovation.
Where the Money Flows
Capital flows are shaping Africa’s AI future. Although venture funding dipped slightly in 2024, the sector remains resilient, especially in fintech and enterprise software. States that nurture local AI ecosystems through research, education and infrastructure enhance sovereignty and negotiation power in technical discussions.
The geopolitical contest is already underway: Chinese firms are investing in cloud platforms and data infrastructure, while Western governments and donors counter with training and governance aid. African foreign policy must weave economic strategy with normative diplomacy, attracting investment that builds local capacity while safeguarding control over data and systems.
Practical steps for African foreign services
African foreign ministries can adopt a strategic yet feasible agenda. First, establish dedicated AI units within ministries to manage vendor evaluation, procurement and cross-ministry coordination. Second, invest in shared regional public goods, compute platforms, open-data repositories, and AI audit centres, to lower costs and increase leverage. Third, use the AfCFTA digital protocol and AU AI strategy as bargaining leverage during international negotiations, promoting harmonised standards. Fourth, build human capacity through training, fellowships and technical recruitment. Fifth, insist on explainability and auditability in AI contracts. Sixth, harness digital public diplomacy, deploy AI tools for outreach while safeguarding against misuse of synthetic media through detection and transparent labelling.
Contours of a Successful Strategy
A successful African approach to AI diplomacy balances citizen protection with technological opportunity. Diplomats equipped with technical literacy, audit tools and interoperable data systems will influence global debates more effectively. The alternative, fragmented digital procurement and permissive data flows, risks dependency, privacy violations and diminished negotiating power.
If twentieth-century diplomacy was about regulating power through institutions, twenty-first-century diplomacy must also manage technical competence and digital governance. Africa’s recent moves in strategy, trade protocols, national guidance and private-sector resilience show the continent is not waiting passively but is intent on shaping how AI is used, governed and contested.
Algorithms as instruments of agency
AI will increasingly influence foreign policy, from crisis monitoring to narrative shaping. But AI should be a tool, not a replacement, for human judgment. African diplomacy must strategically build institutional capacity, invest in public goods, align continental positions, and define the kinds of AI deployment it will accept, prioritising sovereignty, equity and innovation.
Diplomacy today must combine the restraint of protocol with digital savvy. Africa has taken the first steps, through strategy, trade agreements, national playbooks and private investment to define those terms. In doing so, the continent can ensure that algorithms serve its own agency, not the other way round.
