Diplomacy in the age of expertise: the case of cyber diplomacy, International Affairs, 2026;, iiaf271, https://doi.org/10.1093/ia/iiaf271

By Johann Ole Willers (CBS), Lars Gjesvik (NUPI)

This article examines the role of expertise in the emergence and evolution of new diplomatic issue areas. Contemporary diplomatic practice increasingly requires coordination across knowledge domains. Nowhere is this more evident than in issues involving fast evolving technology, such as artificial intelligence or cyber issues. Examining the case of cyber diplomacy, we show how diplomats have adapted to these concerns. Contrary to claims that growing demands for issue-specific expertise erode the traditional diplomatic monopoly over authoritative knowledge, the article shows that traditional diplomats have expanded their role. Rather being displaced by technical experts, diplomats act as key points of passage through which knowledge enters the diplomatic arena. Their ability to mediate between competing knowledge claims is becoming a defining feature of diplomatic practice in complex issue areas. We further demonstrate how early framings of cyber diplomacy produced lasting effects diplomatic practice, prioritizing great power politics and skewing debates towards the international security dimensions of cyber issues. The article thus contributes to diplomatic studies by showcasing how early issue framings institutionalize particular practices and constrain adaptation over time, offering broader insights into the tensions between institutional stability and technological change in the governance of digital technology.