Speaker
Description
Harcourt, E. H.
Isaac Jasper Boro College of Education, Sagbama, Bayelsa State
harcourth876@gmail.com
Track: AI, Emerging Technologies and Future Learning
This study examined the transformation of global governance from traditional diplomacy to artificial intelligence (AI)-driven governance and explored the implications for reimagining the United Nations (UN) in addressing contemporary global challenges. The study was motivated by the rapid advancement of AI technologies, which had significantly altered international relations, decision-making processes, security dynamics, and global cooperation mechanisms. It investigated the limitations of conventional diplomatic approaches in responding to emerging issues such as cyber threats, algorithmic governance, digital inequality, misinformation, and the ethical implications of AI deployment across nations. The study adopted global governance theory. The study adopted a qualitative and historical approach, relying on secondary data obtained from scholarly publications, policy documents, reports of international organizations, and official UN publications. Findings revealed that traditional diplomatic structures had struggled to keep pace with the speed, complexity, and transnational nature of AI-related challenges. The study further found that the UN's existing institutional framework required substantial reforms to effectively regulate AI technologies, promote digital inclusiveness, safeguard human rights, and facilitate international cooperation in the governance of emerging technologies. It was observed that AI governance demanded a more adaptive, collaborative, and multidisciplinary model of global governance than that provided by conventional state-centric diplomacy. The study concluded that the future relevance of the United Nations depended on its capacity to integrate AI governance into its core functions and establish robust mechanisms for global technological oversight. It recommended the creation of specialized AI governance bodies within the UN system, the development of international AI regulatory frameworks, and the strengthening of partnerships among states, private technology firms, civil society organizations, and research institutions to ensure responsible and equitable AI governance in the twenty-first century.