Use of artificial intelligence in digital diplomacy: Opportunities and risks

This study aims to assess the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies in digital diplomacy processes within the framework of the "opportunity–risk" balance and to quantify this potential using expert opinion-based data. It grounds theoretical discussions within an empirical framework by outlining the opportunities provided by AI—such as multilingual translation, digital document management, open-source intelligence, decision support, real-time verification, and cybersecurity—and the potential risks, including erroneous analyses and algorithmic hallucinations, AI-driven disinformation, cyber threats, inequalities in AI access and use, and violations of international law and ethical norms. A quantitative research approach was used. Data was collected through a 36-item scale created by the researcher. The sample includes 244 experts from various fields working in Türkiye and other countries, increasing both national and international representativeness of the study. For data analysis, descriptive statistics, normality tests (Kolmogorov–Smirnov and Shapiro–Wilk), and inferential methods (t-test, Kruskal–Wallis H test, and Spearman correlation) were employed. Analyses were performed using IBM SPSS Statistics 26.0 and JASP software. The findings show that AI technologies have strategic potential in digital diplomacy processes through the subsystems outlined in the study's scope. However, risk factors also pose significant threats to these processes. The study concludes that AI's integration into digital diplomacy is not an "all-or-nothing" situation but should be approached from a human-centered and interdisciplinary perspective that maximizes benefits and minimizes risks.