"Washington is captivated by artificial intelligence. Some celebrate its transformative promise; others warn of its risks. The most forward-looking leaders understand AI will reshape the foundations of diplomacy. Amid the surge of pilots, task forces and strategy documents, a quieter and more consequential shift is taking place inside the U.S. government. AI may be the headline, but data infrastructure is the real story."
"Data bottlenecks routinely slow diplomacy. The problem is rarely a lack of information. In fact, most governments produce a staggering volume of it. What we lack is the infrastructure to organize, connect and deploy that information in real time. The data infrastructure decisions diplomatic entities make in 2026 will determine whether this shift becomes a strategic advantage or a missed opportunity. And the ultimate beneficiary or casualty is constituents."
AI promises to transform diplomacy, but the deeper shift lies in data infrastructure within the U.S. government. Data bottlenecks, not information scarcity, often hinder diplomatic work because governments produce vast volumes of domain-specific data that remain unorganized and siloed. Effective capability requires organizing, connecting and deploying data in real time so that it is searchable, interoperable and intelligible. Strategic sequencing at the State Department prioritizes enterprise data capability before AI, reflecting that AI performance depends on data quality and governance. Data infrastructure decisions in 2026 will shape whether technology delivers strategic advantages or becomes a missed opportunity for constituents.
Read at Nextgov.com
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