At present, with the continuous advancement of technology, emerging technologies represented primarily by artificial intelligence are exerting an increasingly profound influence on the world order. The book Artificial Intelligence and the New World Order: New Weapons, New Wars and a New Balance of Power conducts an in-depth analysis of the significant contemporary phenomenon: how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping the world order and the global geopolitical landscape. Its author, Professor Fatima Roumate, has constructed a "theory of international relations in the AI era" from a technological perspective, integrating realism and liberalism. On this basis, she explores the transformations of the world order amid the vigorous development of emerging technologies in the post-pandemic era, including the shift of power in the international community, new forms of warfare, and the rise of non-state actors. The book not only examines the transformation of "hard power" at the military level but also emphasizes the far-reaching impact of AI on diplomacy, the economy, psychological security, and social ethics. Against the backdrop of accelerating global digital transformation and intensifying technological competition among major powers, this book offers a highly enlightening theoretical framework and empirical analysis for understanding how technology reshapes the world order and redefines national sovereignty, security boundaries, and the global governance system.
Content:
1. Conceptual Framework
2. AI and International Relations: A New Balance of Power in a New World Order
3. Artificial Intelligence New Wars, New Weapons, and New Players in International Relation
4. Terrorism and Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems International Society Between the End of Scientific Research and the End of Humanity
5. AI and Technological Sovereignty
6. Rethinking Foreign Policy in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
7. Artificial Intelligence: New Challenges for Diplomacy
8. Malicious Use of Artificial Intelligence: New Challenges for International Psychological Security
9. International Mechanisms on Peace and Security in the Age of Artificial Intelligence
10. Media, Artificial Intelligence, and Political Changes
11. Psychological Warfare at the Age of Artificial Intelligence: The Case of Venezuela
12. Ethics of Artificial Intelligence: Which Strategies and Social Policy Actions for Current and Future Challenges?
13. AI Transformation: An Important Feature of the New World Economic Order
About the author:
Fatima Roumate is the President and Founder of the International Institute of Scientific Research (Morocco) and a Professor of International Law at the Faculty of Law, Economic and Social Sciences Agdal, Mohammed V University (Rabat, Morocco). She is a Member of the Ad Hoc Expert Group for the Recommendation on the Ethics of Artificial Intelligence UNESCO, Morocco, as well as a globally recognized expert on artificial intelligence and international psychological security.
Book Review:
Authored by Fatima Roumate, President and Founder of the International Institute of Scientific Research in Marrakesh, Morocco, the book Artificial Intelligence and the New World Order: New Weapons, New Wars and a New Balance of Power is a key work in the Springer book series Frontiers of Artificial Intelligence, Ethics and Multidisciplinary Applications. This book seeks to explain the transformation of the world order in the face of emerging technologies, exploring how artificial intelligence, as a critical variable, drives the shift of the world order from unipolarity to multipolarity and sparks profound discussions on technological sovereignty, psychological warfare, and the ethics of global governance. The book consists of 13 chapters, which can be broadly organized into four main sections.
Part One constructs a new picture of the world order in the AI era. The author first clarifies core concepts such as artificial intelligence (AI), artificial general intelligence (AGI), and machine learning, and then proposes a new AI‑based theory of international relations. Roumate argues that AI is not merely a tool, but a key factor transforming the very nature of international relations. The book elaborates on how AI reshapes the global Balance of Power, which is now built upon "Smart Power" — a combination of hard power (military), soft power (culture/diplomacy), and AI technology. In addition, this section examines the emergence of new weapons and new forms of warfare, particularly Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), genetic engineering weapons, and hypersonic missiles, revealing that warfare is shifting from traditional battlefields to confrontations of algorithms and data.
Part Two focuses on non-traditional security threats and new forms of sovereignty. The author conducts an in-depth analysis of the risks associated with the integration of terrorism and Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), warning that if non-state actors, particularly extremist groups, acquire such technologies, it could lead to consequences that spell "the end of humanity". This section mainly explores the emerging concept of "Technological Sovereignty", pointing out that data sovereignty and cyberspace sovereignty have become the new cornerstones of national independence, while Big Tech companies, as new actors, are challenging the traditional boundaries of state sovereignty. In addition, this part provides a detailed analysis of psychological warfare in the AI era, demonstrating how social media algorithms and big data analytics can be used to interfere in internal affairs and manipulate public opinion, thereby triggering political instability.
Part Three examines the lag between the evolving world order and global governance mechanisms. The author argues that AI is reshaping diplomatic practice and giving rise to "AI Diplomacy". This not only requires diplomats to master new technological tools but also transforms the patterns of negotiation and decision-making. The book points out that the existing international legal system, such as the UN Charter, is inadequate in addressing cybercrime, malicious use of AI, and algorithmic bias, creating an urgent need to establish new international mechanisms to safeguard international psychological security. The author particularly emphasizes the threat posed by the malicious use of AI surveillance technologies to human rights and democratic processes, calling for strengthened international efforts to develop ethical norms.
Part Four focuses on the ethical restructuring of the world order brought about by AI. This section analyzes the relationship between the media and political transformation, noting that while AI enhances the efficiency of information dissemination, it also brings risks such as the proliferation of disinformation (deepfakes) and algorithmic manipulation of elections. In the economic sphere, the author discusses the leap from digital transformation to AI transformation and its far-reaching impact on international trade, the service sector, and Industry 4.0. Finally, the book highlights AI ethics and social policies, emphasizing that education, healthcare, and employment policies must adapt to the demands of the AI era, and calls for the adoption of a multi-stakeholder approach to formulate inclusive strategies in order to bridge the global North-South technological divide.
Breaking through the limitations of traditional geopolitical research, the book closely integrates technological philosophy with the reality of international politics and transformations in the world order. It serves not only as a warning about future forms of warfare but also as an appeal for the establishment of a responsible global technology governance system, offering a highly forward-looking perspective for understanding today's major-power technological competition, struggles over digital sovereignty, and humanity's destiny in the intelligent era.