This panel examines the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for international political economy (IPE), focusing on its role in exacerbating or addressing rising inequality and polarization. As AI technologies become embedded in global economic and political systems, they are reshaping labor markets, influencing policy decisions, and altering the balance of power between states and within societies. While AI promises efficiency and innovation, it also poses significant challenges for inequality, potentially widening the gap between technologically advanced countries and those lagging behind, as well as between economic elites and marginalized groups within countries. AI’s impact on global governance, trade, and development raises critical questions for IPE scholars. How does AI influence international financial flows, labor mobility, and regulatory frameworks? Can AI-driven solutions address deepening inequality and polarization, or will they merely reinforce existing power structures? This panel seeks to explore these dynamics by bringing together interdisciplinary perspectives on how AI is reshaping the global political economy and what can be done to ensure more equitable and democratic outcomes.
We invite papers that explore:
• The political economy of AI governance at national and international levels.
• The role of AI in exacerbating or mitigating global economic inequality.
• How AI is influencing labor markets, trade policies, and international financial institutions.
• Case studies of AI-driven economic transformations and their impact on inequality and polarization.
• The role of global governance bodies in regulating AI and promoting equitable technological development.
