Reflection on ADF2025: AI as Silent Superpower and Influencer for Africa

The Antalya Diplomacy Forum (ADF) 2025 convened during a time of global uncertainty, marked by conflicts, trade rivalries, and escalating AI-driven competition. Against this backdrop, Africa and Türkiye’s roles in diplomacy gained prominence, emphasizing equitable North-South and South-South partnerships. A key panel addressed Artificial Intelligence as a ‘silent superpower,’ exploring both its promise and its peril in shaping the global order. While AI holds the potential for solving complex challenges through investment in education, research, and collaboration, it also risks deepening global inequalities and undermining human agency. Particular attention was paid to Africa’s AI trajectory, from data governance to talent development and regulatory hurdles. The panel stressed the urgency of ethical frameworks, human-centered design, and international cooperation to ensure AI enhances global equity. ADF2025 catalyzed critical conversations on diplomacy and digital power, reaffirming Türkiye’s convening role in a fragmented international system. As a speaker on the panel, I will summarize my remarks in this commentary.