Enduring American Values Must Remain at the Heart of Foreign Policy 2.0

In Nextgov, Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue Director the Hon. Bonnie Glick maintains that enduring American values must remain at the heart of our foreign policy.

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Technology can be used as both a democratizing and oppressive force.

Just a decade ago, it was popular to view technology as a democratizing force. Armed with just an internet connection or a smartphone, pro-democracy activists around the world could break through governmental information blockades, organize protests and connect with allies across continents. Years of cyberwar and misinformation have dimmed such utopian thinking.

As the head of the Krach Institute for Tech Diplomacy at Purdue, I know technology can be a powerful force for freedom—indeed it must be, as global power dynamics are now largely shaped by the innovation arms race. For democratic values to prevail against authoritarian rivals, we must apply our enduring principles—building trust-based alliances, honoring our commitments, championing human rights and rule of law—to emerging areas like artificial intelligence, synthetic biology and quantum computing.

China and Russia are leveraging technologies toward less noble ends.