Issue Policy area 1: international relations must absorb new actors, new arenas and new entities

Summary

This issue gathers the report's cross-cutting implications for international relations. Governments may be expected to play a more active role in protecting national interests from large technology companies able to shape geopolitical conflicts. Multilateral institutions may seek extra support to build new mechanisms for regulating how technology is developed and deployed. Unregulated competition over new technologies, resources and arenas could worsen international tensions and damage the environment. Global governance structures may go through a period of upheaval as they try to integrate tech firms, metaverses, network states and digital nations. Together these point to an international order that must absorb new actors, spaces and entities.