The AI-International Relations Nexus: A New Handbook Explores a Transforming Landscape

The rapid evolution of Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally reshaping the international system, presenting both unprecedented opportunities and complex challenges for global politics. A new comprehensive resource, The Routledge Handbook of Artificial Intelligence and International Relations, edited by Diego Brasioli, Laura Guercio, Giovanna Gnerre Landini, and Andrea de Giorgio, offers a systematic exploration of this critical intersection. Published in 2025, the handbook brings together diverse international scholars to map the multifaceted ways in which AI technologies are impacting the core concepts, practices, and structures of International Relations (IR).

A Multidisciplinary Approach to a Complex Issue

The handbook is designed as an essential resource for scholars, students, and practitioners navigating the evolving relationship between AI and global politics. It adopts a broad, multidisciplinary examination of AI’s implications, drawing from fields beyond traditional IR, including law, ethics, security studies, political economy, sociology, and computer science. The editors emphasize understanding AI not as a neutral tool, but as a phenomenon embedded in social, political, and economic power structures, capable of reconfiguring agency, sovereignty, security, governance, and global inequality.

Key Themes Explored in the Handbook

The Routledge Handbook of Artificial Intelligence and International Relations is organized into six parts, encompassing 29 thematic chapters. Key areas of focus include:

Conceptualizing AI and IR: Foundations and Frameworks

This section establishes the conceptual groundwork for understanding AI within the context of international relations. It examines how AI challenges and redefines core IR concepts such as power, sovereignty, and agency, and explores the epistemological and methodological challenges AI poses for IR research.

AI, Global Economy, and Development

The handbook analyzes AI’s transformative role in the global political economy, focusing on the competition for technological leadership between major powers like the US, China, and the EU. It also examines AI’s impact on labor markets, economic growth, and inequality, particularly for developing countries.

AI, Security, Military and Warfare

A significant portion of the handbook is dedicated to the impact of AI on international and national security. This includes analysis of autonomous weapons systems, the revolution in military affairs, AI’s role in intelligence gathering and cybersecurity, and the implications for nuclear command and control and strategic stability.

Security of Data in Cyberspace

The handbook highlights the increasing importance of data security in the digital age, positioning data as a central currency of power in international relations. It argues that AI amplifies this reality, offering both defensive and offensive capabilities in cyberspace, including advanced cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns.

AI, Global Governance, and Law

The handbook confronts the challenges of governing AI technologies at the international level, surveying the fragmented landscape of governance initiatives and analyzing the difficulties of regulating AI across jurisdictions. It examines the adequacy of existing international legal frameworks in addressing AI-specific issues.

AI and Societal Challenges

The final section widens the lens to consider the broader societal implications of AI, including the spread of misinformation, the expansion of surveillance capabilities, and ethical considerations surrounding bias, discrimination, and accountability.

Overarching Themes and Critical Perspectives

Across these diverse contributions, several overarching themes emerge. The handbook consistently positions AI as an amplifier of existing power dynamics, potentially exacerbating economic, digital, and geopolitical inequalities. This raises questions about the future of state sovereignty and the require for international cooperation. A central ethical imperative is championed throughout the volume, emphasizing the protection of fundamental human rights in the development and governance of AI systems.

A Foundational Resource for the Future

The Routledge Handbook of Artificial Intelligence and International Relations (2025) is a monumental achievement and an indispensable resource for anyone seeking to understand the complex relationship between AI and global politics. As stated on Amazon, the handbook provides a vital conceptual map for navigating this rapidly evolving landscape. It serves as an authoritative foundation for research, debate, and policy responses in the years to reach as AI continues to transform the international system.