ما بعد السيادة الصلبة: كيف تعيد الخوارزميات والذكاء الاصطناعي تشكيل مفهوم القوة في العلاقات الدولية؟

Abstract

This article examines the profound transformation of power in international relations in the context of the rise of algorithms and artificial intelligence as new generators of influence within the contemporary international system. It is based on the assumption that traditional “hard sovereignty,” grounded in material coercion and military capabilities, is no longer sufficient to explain current power dynamics in a world increasingly shaped by data control, knowledge production, and predictive technologies.

Using an analytical and foresight-oriented approach, the article deconstructs the conceptual shift affecting power and sovereignty, highlighting the relocation of influence from the traditional political sphere to the techno-cognitive domain. In this context, algorithms have become invisible yet decisive actors in foreign policy decision-making, security management, and strategic planning. The article also addresses the limits of hard power in confronting digital threats and analyzes artificial intelligence as a tool for redistributing international influence and shaping the contours of an emerging algorithmic international order.

Special attention is given to the challenges of legitimacy and accountability raised by this transformation, particularly in the absence of binding international legal frameworks governing the use of artificial intelligence in sovereign domains. The Moroccan case is considered as an example of a middle power seeking to strengthen its digital sovereignty within a highly complex international environment. The article concludes that understanding algorithmic power requires redefining sovereignty and power, and embedding artificial intelligence within political and legal governance mechanisms that balance efficiency, sovereign autonomy, and legitimacy.