Artificial Intelligence and International Law: Challenges and Opportunities

Abstract

Artificial intelligence, as one of the transformative technologies of the contemporary era, has reshaped the traditional boundaries of international law and created unprecedented challenges and opportunities across various domains. This study, using a descriptive–analytical approach and relying on library and documentary sources, examines the complex interaction of artificial intelligence with the system of public international law. The main objective is to identify fundamental legal challenges such as the determination of responsibility in autonomous systems, violations of humanitarian principles in military weapons, threats to privacy, algorithmic discrimination in human rights, and intellectual property issues in works generated by artificial intelligence. Furthermore, the opportunities for enhancing legal processes, including big data analysis for predicting judicial outcomes, expediting proceedings, and facilitating equitable access to justice, are investigated. The findings indicate that existing legal mechanisms, such as UNESCO’s recommendations and the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act, lack global coherence, and there is a pressing need for multi-level and distributed governance models to manage risks. From a foresight perspective, artificial intelligence may lead to a redefinition of concepts such as sovereignty and responsibility, yet the risk of exacerbating digital inequalities and technological hegemony by developed countries persists. The conclusion emphasizes the necessity of drafting flexible, ethics-oriented, and internationally cooperative legal frameworks in order to balance technological innovation with the safeguarding of the fundamental principles of human rights. This study, by filling the research gap in the integrated analysis of challenges and opportunities, provides a foundation for future policymaking.