The Soft Power of Large Language Models
As the world grapples with the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) on the global stage, one crucial aspect often overlooked is the role of large language models (LLMs) in shaping a country’s soft power. While the development of AI has dominated discussions on foreign policy, the focus has primarily been on hard power, such as enhancing military capabilities. However, LLMs like ChatGPT may represent a new dimension of soft power, enabling countries to exert influence through cultural exports, educational systems, and values.
Soft power, a term coined by Harvard political scientist Joseph Nye, refers to a country’s ability to achieve its goals through attraction and persuasion rather than military force. The United States, for instance, wields significant soft power through its media, universities, and cultural exports, shaping global perceptions.
AI research across the globe
The development of frontier LLMs in a nation can enhance its prestige, attracting top AI researchers and strengthening its appeal as an innovation hub. Moreover, early-stage research suggests that LLMs may contribute to the spread of a country’s values abroad. Researchers observing GPT-3, a LLM trained mostly on English language data, have found that much of its output aligns more closely to American values compared to the cultural values of other countries.
Preserving cultural heritage through language models
As LLMs begin to enhance machine translation methods between languages, they may eventually act as a “force multiplier” for a country’s soft power. This benefit may be particularly strong for countries whose cultural media is not as widespread due to language barriers. Governments worldwide recognize the soft power potential of LLMs, with several crafting proposals to support the construction of native language LLMs explicitly for soft power purposes.
Boosting soft power through native language LLMs
The competition for influence over LLMs native to specific languages and cultural contexts has significant implications. Take, for instance, Jais, one of the world’s highest quality Arabic language chatbots, produced by the Emirati company G42. When first introduced, Jais was hailed as a major innovation due to the difficulty of training a chatbot in Arabic. Both American and Chinese firms expressed interest in partnering with and supplying G42, creating a competition for influence over the company.
The global AI competition
Ultimately, we need more research on LLMs and soft power. We need more empirical analyses of how states support LLM development, how individuals’ behaviors are shaped by LLM use, and more. By recognizing the immense soft power implications of LLMs, we can better understand their transformative role worldwide.
AI’s transformative role worldwide
