Artificial intelligence and new imperialism: The role of digital tools in the geopolitical architecture of power

This article examines the impact of artificial intelligence and digital technologies on contemporary geopolitical structures within the framework of new imperialism. The first section analyzes how the rise of digital technologies has transformed classical imperial strategies. In this context, technology is approached not only as an instrument of economic and military power but also as a tool of cultural and ideological control. The second section evaluates the institutional potential of artificial intelligence to shape global hegemonic structures, focusing on how major technological powers such as the United States and China influence the development of AI and how control over digital infrastructure is reshaping the global balance of power. Methodologically, the study adopts a framework combining comparative analysis, geopolitical discourse analysis, and an institutional examination of technological power models. The article’s originality lies in its argument that AI-driven digital hegemony extends beyond technical and economic domains to create new architectures of power in political, legal, and epistemological spheres. This perspective broadens the strategic and theoretical boundaries of the concept of digital imperialism and offers a novel understanding of contemporary power relations.