DiploNews – Issue 530 – 2 January 2026

🍂 Applications open! Diplo’s 2026 winter online courses

Register now to reserve your place in our specialised winter courses!

👉🏼 Application deadlines for certificates issued by Diplo: 26 January 2026

For further information and to apply, click the course titles above or visit Diplo Academy’s course catalogue.

◆ Need financial assistance? Scholarships are available!

Thanks to support from the government of Malta, partial scholarships are available for applicants from developing countries to attend upcoming Diplo online courses. These scholarships cover 30%–60% of course fees and can be applied to most 2026 online courses. Browse our course catalogue and contact us at admissions@diplomacy.edu for further information.

◆ Forecast 2026: AI and Digital Developments (8 Jan.)

Begin 2026 with a forward-looking assessment at Diplo’s annual digital predictions event. This long-standing event offers a structured analysis of emerging AI trajectories and broader digital developments, situating them within their global policy and diplomatic context. Join us on Thursday, 8 January at 13:00 UTC (14:00 CET). Register now!

◆ 11th Geneva Engage Awards (3 Feb.)

Join us on 3 February 2026 for another edition of the Geneva Engage Awards, where we celebrate the remarkable efforts of International Geneva actors in digital outreach and online engagement under our slogan #Engage2Connect. Learn more and register to attend in situ!

◆ The AI Pareto paradox: More computing power, diminishing AI impact?

AI is hitting a glass ceiling. Despite massive investment in hardware and computing power, its impact is shrinking. The real question now is not how much power we can add, but where intelligence actually resides. Read the blog post!

◆ AI in 2026: Learning to live with powerful systems

As the initial shock of artificial intelligence fades, a new phase begins. From ‘invisible’ infrastructure to the return of humanistic values, discover why 2026 will be the year of recalibration, shifting the focus from technical capability to social stewardship. Read the blog post!

◆ Deepfakes and the AI scam wave eroding trust

Deepfakes remain one of the most disruptive and unsettling AI developments in 2025. Hyper-realistic voice cloning and multimodal scams are now actively fuelling fraud while eroding trust in media, institutions, and digital communication. Read the blog post!

◆ Google’s Willow, quantum speed, and the temptation of parallel universes

In late 2024, Google’s 105-qubit Willow processor achieved quantum supremacy, completing a task in minutes that would take supercomputers millions of years. But beyond the headlines about ‘breaking physics’, what does this actually mean for the future of technology? Read the blog post!

◆ Five types of diplomacy illustrated by recent global events

We’re seeing a shift in how countries talk to each other. It’s not just summits and suits anymore, it’s tech CEOs, climate activists, and pop stars. Here is a breakdown of the 5 new types of diplomacy we saw in 2025. Read the blog post!

◆ Space as a test of civilisation: Will the race to the stars unite or divide humanity?

Outer space has repeatedly shown that even bitter rivals can cooperate when survival, science, and shared ambition outweigh conflict. As humanity returns to an era of geopolitical rivalry and commercial space races, the question is whether space will again serve as a bridge between adversaries or become the next frontier of division. Read the blog post!

◆ The privatisation of statecraft

Between the high-rises of Miami and the lawns of Mar-a-Lago, a strange new diplomatic era is beginning, one that trades the weary atmosphere of Washington for the comfort of a private resort. Read the blog post!

◆ Massimo’s choice (actually, his pledge)

The blog post explores Prof. Massimo Pigliucci’s call for engaged, relevant scholarship, and suggests that real change may start with small academic ‘quality circles’. Read the blog post!

◆ Ephemera II: Empire, beauty, and belief

In ‘Ephemera II’, the author reflects on Rome’s multiethnic pragmatism, the quiet harmony of Chinese ceramics, and how belief systems provide social ‘closure’ in uncertain worlds. Read the blog post!

◆ ‘All is fair in RAM and war’: RAM price crisis in 2025 explained

RAM prices are surging worldwide, and AI demand, tariffs, and supply concentration have reshaped today’s memory market. Read the DW analysis!

◆ E-commerce transformation through blockchain technology

Future online commerce will integrate blockchain alongside AI, IoT, and advanced cryptography, forming ecosystems that rely on verifiable processes instead of platform authority. Read the DW analysis!

◆ ConfTech Digest #53, November/December

Discover some of the latest updates in the world of online meetings: Enhanced Facilitator agent, customisable meeting recap templates, better presented controls, advanced moderation, automatic picture-in-picture when screen sharing, intelligent scheduling, real-time voice translation, and more. Read ConfTech Digest #53!

◆ AI Shorts #26: Top 5 AI Trends of 2025

2025 was a turning point for AI: from AI agents becoming virtual coworkers to global regulation battles, deepfakes shaking trust online, and a quiet power shift in who builds and controls AI models, this special episode breaks down the top five AI trends of 2025 and why they matter going into 2026.

◆ Switzerland’s apprenticeship playbook for the AI era

In his article, published on The AI Innovator, Dr Jovan Kurbalija explains how Switzerland’s apprenticeship ‘playbook’ offers a scalable path to AI-ready workforces worldwide. Read the article on The AI Innovator!

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