Technology and Foreign Policy Flashcards
(31 cards)
Explain the theory of technological determinism. Who advocates for this?
Technological determinism holds that technological development drives social and political changes, AND BY EXTENSION FOREIGN POLICY. Humans have little to no agency. This theory is promoted by Jacques Ellul.
Explain the theory of the social construction of technology. Who advocates for this?
The social construction of technology holds that the use and perception of technology is influenced by cultural and social contexts. HUMANITY SHAPES TECHNOLOGY. This is advocated for by Pinch and Bijker.
How do Realism and Liberalism theorise the role of technology in Foreign Policy?
Realism focusses on the role of technology in power and security, arguing this can enhance a state’s power.
Liberalism believes technology has the power to foster international cooperation, economic interdependence and global governance. This can be seen through the growth of economic interdependence through technology!
How have global communication technologies influenced FP?
Digital diplomacy has been permitted through the rise of social media, with diplomats using Twitter for direct engagement at times. No better example than Trump currently.
How have military technologies been significant in FP?
Use of drones and AI has been heightened in modern warfare. This has ethical implications for how wars and battles will be fought.
How is technology being used in cybersecurity and for cyber warfare?
Cyber security is being used to protect national infrastructure, such as power grids and comms networks. It is also being used in cyber-espionage, as state-sponsored efforts to hack and hijack occur (particularly from Russia) in cyber warfare efforts.
How is technology used as part of development aid efforts?
- Mobile Banking: Enhancing financial inclusion in developing countries. This achieved through microtransactions, helping women’s participation in the economy.
- Telemedicine: Providing healthcare in remote areas.
- Transparency: Use of blockchain for efficient aid distribution.
How is technology being used in the field of the environment?
Technological solutions to environmental issues are being pushed, while renewable energy technologies are being explored to decarbonise global energy sectors.
What issues are there with the growing prevalence of technology in international politics?
Stoking of the digital divide: may create disparities between countries over technology access
Tech dependency: humanity becoming over-reliant on technology
Ethical dilemmas: issues like AI ethics and data privacy come into play.
How has Russia used technology to bolster its international relevance?
Russia has used sales of missiles to Turkey, China and India among others to improve its relevance and importance internationally. It makes other countries dependent on it for the functioning of the technologies they have purchased, as this technology can be manipulated by its developer.
How has Russia’s sale of missiles been used as part of its broader geopolitical attempts to build alliances?
Russia has sold its missiles to Iran, a rival of the US, and Turkey, a NATO ally of the US. This looks to build a constituency to act against the United States and improve its own status. It has also sold missiles to India, another ally of the US and is looking to sell them to Qatar and Saudi Arabia.
How is technology changing understandings of sovereignty according to Barrinha and Christou (2022)?
Barrinha and Christou see sovereignty as being altered conceptually by technology, moving from being expressed by the state to being expressed by individuals and other entities.
How is the EU attempting to assert sovereignty over technology companies? Why is this proving difficult?
The EU and its member states are demanding greater technological sovereignty and more widespread governance of technology. It is hoping to arrest the movement of companies behaving as private governments with de-facto control over society. However, this has been ineffective at times, with this creating the fragmentation of cyber space based on areas constrained by EU policy and those areas not.
What issues are there in attempts to regulate AI?
To regulate AI, this will require global governance that is watertight, as any gaps through states that do not regulate in same way will lead to rogue models developing. It will also require negotiation and cooperation with AI companies to achieve it.
What fears are there around the power of AI?
It is feared that AI will become ever more capable and proliferate further, perhaps even becoming self-generative beyond human control. It could also be used to manipulate and subdue citizens, harm democracy or destroy jobs and livelihoods.
Why is AI development a dimension of geopolitical contestation?
AI is one of the fields where the US and China are locked in a battle for supremacy. They believe that whoever develops AI to the greatest and most powerful degree will have a major edge. This means that AI development is occurring rapidly, rather than cautiously, and could have serious consequences.
In what ways could AI be regulated?
AI could be regulated through controlling access to the materials needed to develop it. It could also involved a global watchdog and regulator being set up to identify risks to global stability while encouraging its development. This regulator would need to work alongside developers to avoid being weak and toothless.
How have NSAs used drone technology? How have states used these?
NSAs have used drone technology to carry out terrorist activities and reconnaissance, due to them being cheap to manufacture and repurpose for aggressive means. States have also used these to conduct precise attacks on their enemies. The Obama administration was particularly keen to use them.
What ethical/practical concerns are there over drone proliferation?
Ethical - inevitably lead to civilian deaths as attacks can only be so precise, double tap strikes used to attack known combatants and then relief teams/civilians who attend the scene after.
Practical - incredibly cheap to produce and operate, with many countries now having military drones, which reduce the cost of war in terms of their own casualties.
How has Elon Musk’s Starlink been significant in foreign policy, even conducting its own at times?
Elon Musk’s has been opposed to Starlink terminals being used to inflict military defeat on Russia. He sees it as a defensive resource and has thus not extended coverage to Russian occupied areas of Ukraine, preventing operations from being conducted there.
How has disinformation been weaponised through technology in elections and in warfare?
Disinformation has been used in elections through technology, with fake Russian accounts spreading targeted fake information to deepen political divides and influence results. It has also been used in Ukraine, as Russia works to spread false narratives about Ukrainian Nazis and about supposedly ‘staged’ atrocities.
How did technology become contentious in the UK in the form of 5G networks?
The UK, under pressure from the US, acted to ban Chinese company Huawei from its telecoms infrastructure, fearing that this could be used to spy on the West or disrupt its future use.
How have tech companies been implicated in US-China relations recently?
Many tech companies have been forced to adjust their plans and negotiate with the Trump administration after its tariffs were imposed on Chinese imports to the US. Most of Apple’s manufacturing takes place in China, for instance, so it has shifted its manufacturing of US-bound products to avoid these and has specially negotiated some tariff exemptions.
How have social media companies come under the radar for their implications for national security?
TikTok recently faced being banned in the US following legislation being passed by Congress and a ruling by the Supreme Court. However, this was temporarily suspended by Trump.
