Introduction: Technology and International Relations – The New Frontier in Global Power

The chapter introduces how changes in advanced technology deeply affect international politics, this book theoretically engages with the overriding relevance of investments in technological research, and the ways in which they directly foster a country’s economic and military standing. The scholars and practitioners in the volume present important insights on the technical and social issues at the core of technology competition. The Introduction to Technology and International Relations emphasizes the importance of leadership styles, domestic political agendas and the relative weight of technologically driven countries in global affairs. It highlights the now widely shared belief among both developed and developing countries that technology will be the defining factor in international politics. The book also unpacks the complexity of real-life cases of key technological advances, including artificial intelligence, UAVs, satellites and the responses of governments and the private sector to rising technological challenges.