What is tech diplomacy and why does it matter?

The first tech diplomat to Silicon Valley was appointed by Denmark in 2017 - and now there are around 20 formal or acting tech envoys out of the more than 70 consulates in the area.

The World Economic Forum has partnered with the Technology Diplomacy Network to launch a new initiative to build trust and collaboration.

Sebastian Buckup, the Forum's head of the C4IR Network and Partnerships, and Mario Canazza, C4IR Government Affairs Lead, explain why we need tech diplomats to shape safe future technologies that benefit everyone.

Technology is an increasingly core dimension of global, economic and industry agendas.

Even before the pandemic caused rates of technology adoption to soar, Accenture's Chief Technology Officer, Paul Daugherty, declared: "Every company is a technology company - some just don't recognize it yet."

We're now seeing the rise of govtech ecosystems, with tech start-ups and small- to medium-sized enterprises providing products and services to aid the digital transformation of administrations - enabling governments to more efficiently serve the public. Global government IT spend is predicted to exceed $600 billion in 2023.

But with the promise of technology comes new challenges around governance, meaning policy-makers are playing catch-up when it comes to regulating tech. Just look at the proliferation of generative AI - both its potential to transform jobs and certain tasks, as well as the risks it poses from copyright infringement to disinformation.

Countries are increasingly deploying tech diplomats to Silicon Valley to directly interact with the companies at the forefront of the Fourth Industrial Revolution on issues touching on human rights and national security.

"Before 2017, technology-related foreign policy was dominated by state-centrism, with a focus on national security and economic relations. As tech diplomacy has evolved, the private sector and civil society are now seen as actors in the field," explains Patricia Gruver-Barr, co-founder of the Tech Diplomacy Network.

As tech diplomacy has evolved, the private sector and civil society are now seen as actors in the field: Patricia Gruver-Barr, co-founder of the Tech Diplomacy Network.

As tech diplomacy has evolved, the private sector and civil society are now seen as actors in the field: Patricia Gruver-Barr, co-founder of the Tech Diplomacy Network. Image: Tony Blair Institute

The rise of the tech diplomat

In August 2017, Danish diplomat Casper Klynge became the...