AIF Insights No. 26 (2025) | Artificial Intelligence and the Future of International Law: Challenges and Pathways Forward

This article examines the growing impact of Artificial Intelligence (AI) on international law, focusing on the legal, ethical, and governance challenges it presents. AI technologies, which often operate autonomously and beyond traditional state control, are straining existing legal frameworks built around state-centric responsibility and territorial sovereignty. The paper explores key legal dilemmas such as attribution of responsibility, dual-use risks, and regulatory gaps in both global and regional contexts. It highlights contrasting approaches, such as the European Union’s comprehensive legal model versus the limited capacity of many developing countries to regulate AI effectively. The discussion also considers proposals for global governance mechanisms, including treaty-based compute caps and soft law instruments aimed at fostering transparency and accountability. The authors argue for a multi-layered, participatory governance model that balances innovation with ethical oversight and includes voices from the Global South. This approach is critical to ensuring AI’s global deployment respects international law, human rights, and long-term security.