[{"data":1,"prerenderedAt":64},["ShallowReactive",2],{"page-config-/news/signals-from-the-frontier-of-digital-statecraft":3,"news-post-signals-from-the-frontier-of-digital-statecraft":38,"news-post-signals-from-the-frontier-of-digital-statecraft-authors":63},{"id":4,"title":5,"body":6,"description":10,"extension":13,"hero":14,"meta":32,"navigation":15,"path":33,"sections":34,"seo":35,"stem":36,"__hash__":37},"pages/pages/news.md","News",{"type":7,"value":8,"toc":9},"minimark",[],{"title":10,"searchDepth":11,"depth":11,"links":12},"",2,[],"md",{"showHero":15,"title":16,"badge":17,"description":18,"image":19,"imageCredit":20,"backgroundImage":21,"links":22},true,"Recent News & Updates","Latest Posts","Stay updated with the latest news, events, interviews, and videos from our community.","/images/news.webp","Sebastian Pfütze","/images/news-hero-bg.png",[23,28],{"label":24,"to":25,"target":26,"type":27},"Subscribe","https://mailchi.mp/4337f0e3e319/9262kjy9ck","_blank","primary",{"label":29,"to":30,"type":31},"Contact Us","/contact","secondary",{},"/pages/news",null,{"title":5,"description":10},"pages/news","RH8LB8jvO_3y-r_SCCELEeG-ZVvaq9CqOUgvw53iVMY",{"id":39,"title":40,"author":41,"authors":34,"body":42,"category":53,"date":43,"description":46,"duration":34,"endTime":34,"extendedContent":34,"extension":55,"featured":56,"heading":45,"image":54,"location":34,"locationType":34,"mainContent":47,"meta":57,"navigation":15,"path":58,"registrationLink":34,"seo":59,"slug":44,"startTime":34,"stem":60,"tags":61,"videoUrl":34,"__hash__":62},"blogposts/blogposts/signals-from-the-frontier-of-digital-statecraft.json","Signals From The Frontier Of Digital Statecraft","Stefaan Verhulst",{"date":43,"slug":44,"heading":45,"description":46,"mainContent":47,"author":41,"tags":48,"category":53,"image":54},"2026-04-29T12:00:00","signals-from-the-frontier-of-digital-statecraft","Signals from the Frontier of Digital Statecraft","Last week, at Jesus College, Cambridge University, the inaugural cohort of Digital Statecraft Fellows gathered — alongside a diverse group of policymakers, technologists, scholars, and practitioners — to grapple with a deceptively simple yet profound question: how do we govern in the age of AI?","\u003Cp>Last week, at \u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://www.jesus.cam.ac.uk/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">Jesus College\u003C/a>, Cambridge University, the \u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://digitalstatecraft.academy/our-fellows/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">inaugural cohort of Digital Statecraft Fellows\u003C/a> gathered — alongside a diverse group of policymakers, technologists, scholars, and practitioners — to grapple with a deceptively simple yet profound question: how do we govern in the age of AI?\u003C/p>\n\u003Cdiv class=\"fr fs ft fu fv e\">\n\u003Carticle>\n\u003Cdiv class=\"e\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"e\">\n\u003Csection>\n\u003Cdiv class=\"gk gl gm gn go\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"v cf\">\n\u003Cdiv class=\"cm bd fw fx fy fz\">\n\u003Cp id=\"0410\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">The convening offered a highly needed space where theory met practice; where geopolitical realities, technical architectures, and governance responses were debated not as abstractions, but as institutional design challenges.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"336d\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">The discussions, grounded in the principles of the\u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://digitalstatecraft.academy/the_digital_statecraft_manifesto_v1-0/?utm_source=chatgpt.com\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\"> Digital Statecraft Manifesto\u003C/a>, revealed a field at an inflection point. Digital statecraft is no longer just about digitizing services or regulating platforms at the margins. It is about rethinking the state itself as a coordinator in a world where AI systems, data infrastructures, and global platforms increasingly mediate social, economic, and political life.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"3c83\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Below are my ten high-level takeaways from the convening — signals, perhaps, from the frontier of digital statecraft. In keeping with the spirit of the convening — held under Chatham House Rules — I will not attribute specific remarks to individuals, but instead reflect some of the collective insights that emerged across the discussions.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://cms.thegovlab.com/assets/9207e4c7-2d84-464d-be84-5da58e6674a8.webp?width=800&height=1066\" alt=\"1 Bmaa3h2 E Zr L66 Sjg Mj Xej A\">\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp>                                           DSA Convening at Jesus College. Picture by Zeynep Engin\u003C/p>\n\u003Col>\n\u003Cli id=\"d777\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\">\u003Cstrong class=\"nc gs\">From Sovereignty to Agency (and Self Determination)\u003C/strong>\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ol>\n\u003Cp id=\"f05b\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">One of the most debated themes was the rise of and growing call for “AI sovereignty.” While traditionally framed as a nation’s ability to manage dependencies by building and controlling its own AI systems, participants pushed toward a more nuanced understanding — one centered on agency, including self-determination.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"09ec\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Sovereignty, as was discussed, spans multiple dimensions: technical (compute and infrastructure), data (access to local and high quality datasets), regulatory (rule-setting power), knowledge (skills and talent), and cultural (alignment with societal values and protecting cultural heritage).\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"a545\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Yet sovereignty alone risks becoming a defensive posture. Agency, by contrast, emphasizes the capacity to act: to determine outcomes in alignment with preferences and expectations of communities, reduce asymmetries with dominant private actors, and make meaningful choices in a constrained technological landscape. In sum, it enables \u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/data-and-policy/article/operationalizing-digital-selfdetermination/C320AA7491A6F301BDFCB53EE2C7C5D7\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">digital self determination\u003C/a>.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"bac7\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">This shift aligns with the \u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://digitalstatecraft.academy/the_digital_statecraft_manifesto_v1-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">Manifesto\u003C/a>’s call to center purpose and legitimacy. The question is not whether states can “own” AI, but whether they can use it to advance public value in ways that are accountable, inclusive, and context-sensitive.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"fc1d\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u003Cstrong class=\"nc gs\">2. The State and Meta-Coordination\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"7615\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">A recurring insight was that the state’s historical role — as a coordinator of markets and society — is being challenged by digital platforms. Platforms like Uber or Airbnb do not own assets; they coordinate interactions. Increasingly, AI systems perform similar coordination functions, often more efficiently and at scale. This raises a profound question: if coordination migrates to private AI systems, what remains of the state’s core function?\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"0d68\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Participants argued that digital statecraft requires reclaiming and reinventing this role. The state must evolve into a meta-coordinator — designing the rules, infrastructures, and incentives that shape how coordination happens across public and private actors.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"5fb8\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">This is where the \u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://digitalstatecraft.academy/the_digital_statecraft_manifesto_v1-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">Manifesto\u003C/a>’s emphasis on participation and resilience becomes critical. Coordination cannot be outsourced entirely; it must be governed.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"a8dd\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u003Cstrong class=\"nc gs\">3. The AI Stack, Exceptionalism and the Politics of Dependency\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"7811\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Understanding digital statecraft today requires understanding the AI stack — from energy and chips to models and applications. The convening highlighted how deeply interdependent this stack is. A handful of companies control foundational models and infrastructure, while supply chains span continents.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"b7a2\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">At the same time, participants cautioned against AI exceptionalism. While the scale and speed of AI are novel, many of the underlying governance challenges — around concentration, dependency, standards, and access — are not. They echo earlier experiences with digital infrastructure, telecommunications, and data governance. Treating AI as entirely unique risks overlooking these lessons and reinventing rather than adapting proven approaches.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"d96f\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">This creates both concentration risks and governance opportunities. On one hand, the ecosystem is fragile and unequal. On the other, its relative narrowness offers leverage points for intervention. For states, the challenge is not to control the entire stack, but to identify strategic entry points — whether in data governance, standards-setting, or public infrastructure — and to build capabilities where they matter most.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"c4bb\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u003Cstrong class=\"nc gs\">4. The Contextual Value of Digital Public Infrastructure\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"d695\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://cdpi.dev/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">Digital Public Infrastructure\u003C/a> is positioned as purpose-agnostic, modular, and reusable…more like a “wheel” than a finished product. Its principles — interoperability, minimalism, inclusivity, decentralization, and privacy by design — could offer a blueprint for embedding governance directly into technical systems. In this sense, DPI may represent digital statecraft encoded in architecture. It enables innovation while maintaining public oversight. It allows data to remain distributed while being usable. And it creates a foundation upon which both public and private actors can build.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"5edc\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">At the same time, the relevance and design of DPI are highly context-dependent. In environments where legacy systems are fragmented, exclusionary, or underdeveloped, DPI can serve as a transformative foundation: leapfrogging constraints and enabling new ecosystems. However, in contexts where legacy infrastructures function well or where strong, mature digital ecosystems already exist, the role of DPI may be more incremental: augmenting, interconnecting, or layering additional capabilities rather than replacing existing systems. In such cases, a “plus-one” approach, building on top of what works, may be more effective than wholesale reinvention.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"b22d\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u003Cstrong class=\"nc gs\">5. Governing What We Cannot See\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"be87\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">A central tension emerged around the opacity of AI systems, and leveraging that opacity to spread disinformation. As models become more complex, they become less explainable. Future systems may operate beyond human comprehension.This creates a governance paradox: how do you govern systems you cannot fully understand?\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"e601\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">In this context, participants emphasized that social license matters as much as legal license. Legitimacy cannot rest on compliance alone; it requires ongoing engagement with communities, transparency about risks and trade-offs, and mechanisms for contestation and redress. Especially when systems are opaque, trust must be earned through process, not just promised through regulation.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"45ef\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Participants pointed also to several other approaches:\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul class=\"\">\n\u003Cli id=\"9d42\" class=\"na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx oy oz pa bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Embedding governance in code (e.g., APIs, federated systems);\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli id=\"9763\" class=\"na nb gr nc b nd pb nf ng nh pc nj nk nl pd nn no np pe nr ns nt pf nv nw nx oy oz pa bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Developing traceability and \u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/research/project/project-provenance/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">provenance mechanisms\u003C/a>;\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli id=\"c370\" class=\"na nb gr nc b nd pb nf ng nh pc nj nk nl pd nn no np pe nr ns nt pf nv nw nx oy oz pa bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Shifting focus toward outcomes — such as performance, error rates, and impact — rather than relying solely on understanding internal logic.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Cp id=\"7f84\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">The discussion echoed the \u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://digitalstatecraft.academy/the_digital_statecraft_manifesto_v1-0\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">Manifesto\u003C/a>’s call for adaptive governance — systems that evolve with technology rather than lag behind it.\u003Cpicture>\u003C/picture>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"e3b2\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd nf ng nh nj nk nl nn no np nr ns nt nv nw pg nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u003Cstrong class=\"nc gs\">6. Trust vs. Trustworthiness\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"8531\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Another critical distinction was between trust and trustworthiness. Trust can be misplaced; \u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09672559.2018.1454637\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">trustworthiness\u003C/a> must be demonstrated. Examples such as independent oversight panels, transparent audits, and open reporting mechanisms illustrated how institutions can build earned legitimacy.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"06ea\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">In the context of AI, this means moving beyond broad ethical commitments toward verifiable, operational practices. It requires showing — not just stating — how systems are governed, evaluated, and corrected. Crucially, trustworthiness is neither uniform nor universal; it is contextual, shaped by culture, experience, and power dynamics. Building trustworthiness, therefore, demands approaches that are responsive to diverse contexts, especially in cross-cultural and global settings.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"115e\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u003Cstrong class=\"nc gs\">7. From IT Projects to Organizational Transformation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"a09d\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">One of the more practical insights concerned how AI is implemented within organizations. Participants noted that successful initiatives were often driven not by IT departments, but by HR, finance, or operational units closer to core mission and delivery. Why? Because they focused on real problems — inefficiencies, frustrations, unmet needs — rather than abstract technological possibilities.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"fc0c\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">This points to a broader conclusion: institutional capacity is often the real bottleneck. Policies and strategies alone are insufficient. What matters is building enduring capabilities — data stewards, interdisciplinary teams, and adaptive processes that can translate ambition into action.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"fff8\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">It also suggests that digital statecraft is not just a policy challenge; it is an organizational one. It requires rethinking workflows, incentives, and cultures of collaboration across silos. The most effective strategies start with people and problems, not technology — and scale through sustained investment in institutional capability.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"0f70\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u003Cstrong class=\"nc gs\">8. The Geopolitics of Fragmentation\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"bc00\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">The convenings also underscored a shift from global collaboration to national approaches to AI. While this fragmentation reflects geopolitical realities, it risks undermining, for instance, scientific exchange and collective problem-solving. At the same time, regional collaborations, such as within the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, may offer more viable pathways forward. In this context, participants stressed that technical and governance interoperability is essential to sustain collaboration and avoid siloed systems, even as political approaches diverge.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"a96a\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Yet beyond the national and regional levels, an additional layer is increasingly salient: the local. Building on the principle of subsidiarity, participants emphasized that the governance and innovation of AI may, in practice, be most effective when anchored closer to communities. This perspective, which I have described as \u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=4284013\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">AI Localism\u003C/a>, recognizes that cities, municipalities, and local institutions are often better positioned to experiment with context-specific use cases, build social license, and align AI systems with local needs and values.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"931c\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Digital statecraft must therefore navigate not only a balance between nationalism/regionalism and interdependence, but also a multi-level governance architecture that integrates local, national, regional, and global efforts. Complete autonomy is neither feasible nor desirable; strategic collaboration is essential — but so too is empowering local actors to lead where they are best placed to act.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"01c9\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u003Cstrong class=\"nc gs\">9. Cultural Sovereignty and Identity\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"5d53\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Beyond economics and security, AI raises deeper questions of culture and identity. With many models predominantly trained on English-language and Western-centric data, there is a growing risk of cultural homogenization — where dominant narratives are amplified while others are rendered invisible.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"be8f\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">At the same time, efforts to “lock” culture within national or linguistic boundaries risk constraining creativity, exchange, and innovation. The challenge, then, is not isolation but balance: preserving diversity while enabling meaningful cross-cultural interaction.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"7b20\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">In contexts such as Indigenous knowledge systems, this tension becomes even more acute — requiring safeguards against both marginalization and extraction. Protecting cultural integrity must go hand in hand with ensuring agency over how data is used, shared, and represented.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"a020\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">This dimension of digital statecraft is often overlooked, yet it is central to any vision of governance that is truly inclusive, pluralistic, and reflective of the societies it seeks to serve.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"fc61\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u003Cstrong class=\"nc gs\">10. From Solutions to Questions to Public Value\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"b27d\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Finally, a key takeaways was methodological: digital statecraft requires a shift from solutions to questions. Rather than asking “how do we deploy AI?”, digital statecraft requires leaders to ask:\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul class=\"\">\n\u003Cli id=\"68ee\" class=\"na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx oy oz pa bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">What problems are we trying to solve?\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli id=\"eec4\" class=\"na nb gr nc b nd pb nf ng nh pc nj nk nl pd nn no np pe nr ns nt pf nv nw nx oy oz pa bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">What are the questions that matter?\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli id=\"ebe8\" class=\"na nb gr nc b nd pb nf ng nh pc nj nk nl pd nn no np pe nr ns nt pf nv nw nx oy oz pa bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">Who defines those problems and questions?\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli id=\"2ee2\" class=\"na nb gr nc b nd pb nf ng nh pc nj nk nl pd nn no np pe nr ns nt pf nv nw nx oy oz pa bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">What data is needed to answer these questions — and who controls it?\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Cp id=\"c7f1\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">This aligns closely with the idea that \u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5229339\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">questions are infrastructure\u003C/a>: they shape research agendas, policy priorities, and ultimately, societal outcomes. At the frontier of digital statecraft, the ability to ask better questions may be as important as the ability to build better systems.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"3101\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u003Cstrong class=\"nc gs\">Conclusion: Designing the State of the Future\u003C/strong>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"5e9d\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">The convenings at Cambridge made one thing clear: digital statecraft is not a niche domain. It is the core challenge of governance in the 21st century. It requires rethinking the state as:\u003C/p>\n\u003Cul class=\"\">\n\u003Cli id=\"5c48\" class=\"na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx oy oz pa bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">A meta-coordinator in a platform-dominated world;\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli id=\"6400\" class=\"na nb gr nc b nd pb nf ng nh pc nj nk nl pd nn no np pe nr ns nt pf nv nw nx oy oz pa bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">A designer of infrastructures, not just policies or trainings;\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli id=\"d4e4\" class=\"na nb gr nc b nd pb nf ng nh pc nj nk nl pd nn no np pe nr ns nt pf nv nw nx oy oz pa bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">A steward of questions, data and AI for public value;\u003C/li>\n\u003Cli id=\"7fe5\" class=\"na nb gr nc b nd pb nf ng nh pc nj nk nl pd nn no np pe nr ns nt pf nv nw nx oy oz pa bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">A trusted institution in an age of opacity and uncertainty.\u003C/li>\n\u003C/ul>\n\u003Cp id=\"cfb0\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">The \u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://digitalstatecraft.academy/the_digital_statecraft_manifesto_v1-0/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">Digital Statecraft Manifesto\u003C/a> provides a compass. But the journey is only beginning.\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">\u003Cimg src=\"https://cms.thegovlab.com/assets/b83344de-770e-49c9-b159-b9ef316791a3.webp?width=519&height=589\" alt=\"1 O X3m Jq Bagh P8 Ry1 Ld Oxl Qw\">\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">DSA Manifesto at \u003Ca class=\"z or\" href=\"https://zenodo.org/records/17037682\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener ugc nofollow\">https://zenodo.org/records/17037682\u003C/a>\u003C/p>\n\u003Cp id=\"8466\" class=\"pw-post-body-paragraph na nb gr nc b nd os nf ng nh ot nj nk nl ou nn no np ov nr ns nt ow nv nw nx gk bg\" data-selectable-paragraph=\"\">What emerged from Cambridge is not a set of answers, but a recognition: the future of governance will be shaped not just by how we build or use technology, but by how we design the institutions and frameworks that govern it.\u003C/p>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/section>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/div>\n\u003C/article>\n\u003C/div>",[49,50,51,52],"digital","statecraft","AI","Data","blog ","https://cms.thegovlab.com/assets/d8885384-98bb-4067-b54b-480cff83837f","json",false,{},"/blogposts/signals-from-the-frontier-of-digital-statecraft",{"title":40,"description":46},"blogposts/signals-from-the-frontier-of-digital-statecraft",[49,50,51,52],"kCQNTeOWcqpkJtcEjmoikRqBZXUZ9pytYfEwCs1-AIc",[],1777486775317]