AI Literacy for Diplomats

Abstract As artificial intelligence ( AI ) becomes increasingly relevant to diplomacy, both as a governance issue and as a practical tool, the question is no longer whether diplomats need to engage with AI , but what kind of literacy such engagement requires. Yet within diplomatic training, AI literacy often remains underdefined and too narrowly framed as technical know-how. This article develops a practice-oriented definition of AI literacy for diplomats that includes conceptual understanding, professional use, governance and negotiation literacy, and critical ethical judgement. Drawing on the authors’ experience designing and delivering executive training for diplomats, it combines conceptual analysis with comparative case studies from initiatives in Switzerland, Germany and the United Kingdom. The article identifies key pedagogical patterns and institutional constraints and proposes a practice-informed framework for diplomatic AI training. It clarifies what diplomats need to learn, how such learning can be organised and what conditions shape whether AI literacy becomes usable in practice.