What is tech diplomacy?
Over the last decade, the global tech industry has emerged as a new actor in international relations. Frontier technologies such as artificial intelligence, quantum computing, and biotechnology, as well as digital global platforms have not only transformed our lives. They have also had a profound impact on our values, institutions, and norms. Some of these disruptions have a global reach. They have also changed the geopolitical landscape. In Silicon Valley, tech diplomacy has emerged as a nascent field for practitioners representing governments, civil society, and global tech companies. Tech diplomacy promises to be a useful tool in tackling planetary challenges.
Tech Diplomacy Network
The Tech Diplomacy Network was launched in 2023 to foster collaboration and dialogue between the diplomatic community, civil society, and the tech industry in the San Francisco Bay Area and beyond. We organize events, workshops, and provide a resource for diplomats looking to navigate the complex and rapidly-changing world of technology. The network aims to become a hub for the diplomatic community to exchange ideas and share best practices. By fostering collaboration between communities, the network will help to promote international collaboration and understanding in an interconnected world.
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Tech Diplomacy Resources
Several institutions and countries, some of them close partners of the Tech Diplomacy Network, engage in tech diplomacy. Explore how they shape this new emerging field.
United Nations
The Secretary General’s Tech Envoy & the Global Digital Compact
AI and Diplomacy
Research and analysis on AI policy and diplomacy by DiploFoundation
United States
The US Approach: Digital diplomacy and responsible state behavior
European Union
European Union: A human-centric regulatory framework
Digital Human Rights
The Freedom Online Coalition (FOC) in Silicon Valley
Techplomacy
Denmark: Office of the Danish Tech Ambassador
Podcast
Norway: Expert conversations on tech diplomacy
Open Austria
Austria: Engaging Silicon Valley on tech diplomacy
Partners
News
- Tech Diplomacy Newsletter 5-25
Tech Diplomacy in Times of Uncertainty On May 14th, the Tech Diplomacy community gathered to discuss policy challenges, investment and entrepreneurship, and the historical roots of this emerging diplomatic practice. - Tech Diplomacy Newsletter 4-25
U.S. President Donald Trump’s “sweeping” tariffs announced earlier this month were met with shock, trepidation, and ire, sparking threats of retaliation and urgent calls for negotiations. The tariffs have united unlikely nations and turned allies away, prompting fears of an escalating trade war that is already posing great implications for the global economy and diplomacy. Important note: The situation with U.S. tariffs continues to evolve. The coverage included below is summarized with information available at the time of the article’s publication. - Tech Diplomacy Newsletter 3-25
Recognizing the pressing need for international collaboration on matters of critical and emerging technology, the Tech Diplomacy Award is an important instrument to celebrate those who are able to promote cooperation amidst escalating global tensions, especially in the technological realm. The Tech Diplomacy Award honors a distinguished leader by acknowledging exceptional contributions to the Tech Diplomacy field through innovative and visionary leadership.
Let’s keep in touch!
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