Artificial Intelligence as the New Soft Power Frontier: India’s Ethical AI Diplomacy in the Global South

DOI

10.2991/978-94-6463-950-6_24How to use a DOI?

Keywords

Artificial Intelligence; Soft Power; Ethical AI Diplomacy; Global South; Digital Public Infrastructure

Abstract

In an era characterized by rapid digital advancements, Artificial Intelligence (AI) has surfaced as a significant catalyst for both economic competition and strategic influence, while also serving as a formidable instrument of soft power. This paper examines India’s strategic utilization of AI as a means of ethical and inclusive diplomacy, particularly within the context of the Global South. Departing from conventional interpretations of cultural and spiritual influence, India’s digital foreign policy prioritizes technological collaboration founded on democratic principles, transparency, and human-centered development. Through initiatives such as “AI for All,” the India Stack, and Digital Public Infrastructure (DPI) diplomacy, India presents an alternative framework to the prevailing Western and Chinese models, one that interweaves technological progress with social equity. The study analyzes the alignment of India’s AI discourse with its overall soft power identity and evaluates the ramifications of its ethical AI strategy on global governance, collaborative development efforts, and South-South cooperation. Utilizing Nye’s theory of soft power and constructivist viewpoints within international relations, the research suggests that India’s proactive stance in ethical AI governance bolsters its legitimacy, moral standing, and influence among developing countries. Ultimately, this investigation underscores the potential of AI diplomacy to transform India’s global image from a culturally rich civilization-state to a digital democracy that advocates for technology serving humanity.

Copyright

© 2025 The Author(s)

Open Access

Open Access This chapter is licensed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/), which permits any noncommercial use, sharing, adaptation, distribution and reproduction in any medium or format, as long as you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license and indicate if changes were made.

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TY  - CONF
AU  - Mustafa Syed Ihtimum Alam
PY  - 2025
DA  - 2025/12/29
TI  - Artificial Intelligence as the New Soft Power Frontier: India’s Ethical AI Diplomacy in the Global South
BT  - Proceedings of the International Conference on Smart Systems and Social Management (ICSSSM 2025)
PB  - Atlantis Press
SP  - 356
EP  - 374
SN  - 1951-6851
UR  - https://doi.org/10.2991/978-94-6463-950-6_24
DO  - 10.2991/978-94-6463-950-6_24
ID  - Alam2025
ER  -