In my previous blog post, Why AI Will Make Diplomacy More Important, I argued that AI will enhance the relevance of diplomacy. Now, let’s consider the competencies diplomats will need to succeed in an AI-driven world: What talents, knowledge, and skills are essential for negotiation, representation, and effective participation in international relations in the coming years? AI will reshape the diplomatic profession by handling much of the repetitive paperwork, freeing diplomats to focus on the core aspects of their role: engaging with people, listening, and solving problems. To prepare for this shift, diplomatic training should focus on three sets of competencies: talents, knowledge, and skills. This text is part of a triptych of blog posts: This triptych is triggered by Diplo’s experience on AI pedagogy and discussions on diplomacy in the AI era during the 50th meeting of the International Forum on Diplomatic Training (IFDT), an annual gathering of directors of diplomatic academies held last week (8-11 November) in Budva, Montenegro. Diplo’s team hosted a session with four round tables as illustrated bellows. Andrej Škrinjarić discussed the use of AI in language and diplomacy training. Stefan Lazić presented the use of AI for diplomatic reporting and protocol. Dragana Markovski discussed the impact of AI on pedagogy (training, simulations and evaluations). Jovan Kurbalija discussed AI impact on geopolitics, negotiations and the practice of diplomacy. Photos taken by the IFDT 2024 organisational team. Talents are natural abilities that people are born with. They come from who you are, your family, your culture, and your experiences growing up. While we can’t teach talents, we can help people improve them. At Diplo, we have identified 24 important talents for diplomats, and several are especially crucial for the AI era: curiosity, being a good listener, creativity, adaptability, and a commitment to continuous learning. Open-mindedness and curiosity | Tolerance | Friendly and an outgoing disposition | Good listener | Empathy | Patience | Loyalty | Humour | Charm | Intuition | Honesty and integrity | Creativity and the ability to innovate | Courtesy and good manners | Willingness to defend positions diplomats may not agree with | Ability to multitask | Ability to act under pressure | Good time management | Good communication skills | Critical self-reflection | Ability to synthesise and consolidate information | Ability to network | Ability to achieve a compromise | Intelligence and capacity to (un)learn quickly | Ability to manage ambiguities and paradoxes Knowledge is about understanding facts, ideas, and the world around us. We gain knowledge through school, work, and experiences. As you can see from the box below, the traditional corpus of diplomatic knowledge remains relevant for the AI era. A new area of knowledge is about understanding how AI functions and how it impacts society. This includes a grasp of the way data impacts AI, what privacy requirements are, and how AI impacts law, ethics, and security. With this knowledge, diplomats can participate in important discussions about AI and its impact on the world. Diplomatic history | Actors of diplomacy | Multilateral diplomacy | Bilateral diplomacy | Consular affairs | International relations | International law | Economics and trade | AI and digital technologies | Cultural studies Skills are abilities that can be learned and improved with practice. In the AI era, diplomats will need both traditional and new skills. Traditional communication, negotiations, and problem-solving skills will remain very important. However, new skills such as creating effective prompts for AI, analysing data, and using AI for policy forecasting will gain relevance. In emerging hybrid intelligence models, diplomats must effectively collaborate with AI systems, blending human judgment and intuition with machine inference and efficiency. By leveraging AI’s data processing capabilities and pattern recognition alongside human empathy, cultural understanding, and nuanced interpretation of context, diplomats can navigate the intricacies of international relations more adeptly. This hybrid approach allows for faster analysis of large-scale information while maintaining the critical human touch necessary in diplomatic interactions. Negotiations | Decision making | Communication proficiency | Ensuring policy coherence | Use of social media and digital communication | Policy research | Diplomatic reporting | Public diplomacy skills | Management of events | Protocol and etiquette | AI skills | Administration and management Talents, knowledge, and skills are all interconnected. Talents form the foundation for building skills and knowledge. They help diplomats learn and adapt to new situations. Knowledge provides the context and understanding needed to use skills effectively. Skills, especially those needed for high-level performance, improve through practice and targeted development. As AI takes over repetitive tasks, diplomats will be able to focus more on what matters—engaging, negotiating, and understanding people. These core activities have always been at the heart of diplomacy, and AI will make these skills even more essential. As AI is already changing diplomacy, the need for preparing diplomats is very urgent. How can we help today’s diplomats learn the new AI competencies they need? How do we train the next generation of diplomats? And how can we create environments that help diplomats use their talents, knowledge, and skills effectively? These are critical questions for ministries of foreign affairs, diplomatic training centres, universities and others involved in preparing diplomats for their work. The conversation about the competencies diplomats need for the AI era is just beginning. By addressing AI transformation of diplomacy properly, we can make diplomacy stronger and ready for future challenges.
AI and loaded questions
AI reporting and protocol
AI pedagogy and training
AI and practice of diplomacy
Diplomatic TALENTS
24 critical talents for diplomacy in the AI era
Diplomatic KNOWLEDGE
10 areas of diplomatic knowledge
Diplomatic SKILLS
12 sets of diplomatic skills
How talents, knowledge, and skills work together
Preparing for the AI era