On 15 April 2026, the Geneva Graduate Institute's Tech Hub hosted a public panel discussion on the growing role of artificial intelligence in diplomacy. The event brought together Claude Bruderlein (Harvard University), Peter Maurer (Basel Institute on Governance) and Karin Voodla (Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Estonia), under the moderation of Professor Jérôme Duberry, Director of the Tech Hub. Opening remarks were delivered by Ambassador Thomas Gürber, Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the United Nations Office in Geneva. ¨The discussion was held in partnership with the Centre for Digital Humanities and Multilateralism & Executive Education.

Ambassador Gürber opened by underlining the importance of this reflection at a time when artificial intelligence has already made its way into diplomatic practice, such that the question is no longer whether diplomats should adopt AI, but in what ways. This assessment was echoed by Claude Bruderlein, who, drawing on a survey conducted with his team, noted that AI adoption among diplomats has been growing year on year, and that a large majority of diplomatic actors can be expected to be using AI by 2027. He argued that diplomats who use AI will inevitably outperform those who do not, provided they receive adequate training in its proper use within negotiation contexts. He notably drew a distinction between efficiency and effectiveness: the goal is not to succumb to the temptation of an inflated output and results achieved with less effort, but to harness the technology to improve the quality of work and make it a tool in service of objectives that are all the clearer for having been set by sound judgment.

The panel discussion that followed, joined by Karin Voodla and Peter Maurer, allowed these themes to be explored in greater depth. Karin Voodla shared reflections drawn from her day-to-day practice, noting that the automation of certain repetitive tasks had the advantage of freeing up more time for the distinctly human skills that diplomacy demands. She also observed that within diplomatic circles, contrasting attitudes towards artificial intelligence often reflect a generational divide. Peter Maurer, for his part, offered a meditation on the evolution of diplomacy informed by his long experience. Among other remarks, he made a striking observation: each time a technological development has taken hold in society (the widespread adoption of computers and the internet, for instance), he found that diplomats who had anticipated a genuine transformation of their practice navigated the transition more successfully than those who had seen it merely as a new tool. In other words, today's diplomats should, in his view, take the full measure of the disruption that the rise of AI represents and embrace it in order to make the most of it. Like his fellow panelists, Peter Maurer struck an encouraging note, emphasising that this technological development could represent an opportunity, as long as professionals make the effort to rise to its demands.

The discussion concluded with a rich debate on the degree of independence that should be maintained from the companies that currently dominate the generative AI market, and on the potential divergence of objectives between those who design these systems and the international professionals who are called upon to use them.

A rich and compelling discussion on a crucial subject, held in a near-full Auditorium A2. Many thanks once again to our speakers and to the audience.