Details
Agentic AI in an Emerging New World Order: What’s at Stake for Middle Powers and Small States?
Artificial intelligence is rapidly evolving from systems that support human decision-making to agentic AI — systems capable of setting goals, taking autonomous actions, learning from their environments, and operating continuously with limited human oversight. This shift represents more than a technological development; it signals a recalibration of power in the international system.
As the development, training, and governance of advanced AI systems become increasingly concentrated among a small number of superpowers and major technology actors, important questions arise for middle powers and small states. While autonomous systems promise efficiency, innovation, and economic opportunity, they may also widen existing capability gaps if countries come to rely on decision-making systems whose objectives, constraints, and update cycles they do not fully control.
This seminar examines how agentic AI is shaping an emerging new world order and what is at stake for middle powers and small states navigating between technological competition, governance capacity, and strategic autonomy. Rather than framing AI diffusion as a simple divide between producers and adopters, the discussion focuses on agency, institutional choice, and governance strategies in a multipolar environment.
Key issues to be explored include who sets the goals and optimisation logics of autonomous systems, how oversight and accountability can be maintained as autonomy increases, and what policy tools — ranging from regulation and procurement to partnerships and regional cooperation — can help middle powers benefit from agentic AI without becoming structurally dependent on external decision infrastructures.
The discussion will also consider the role of Europe, including Germany, in shaping governance approaches, regulatory frameworks, and international norms that may offer reference points for countries seeking to balance innovation with accountability and trust.
Event Details
📅 Tuesday, 27 January 2026
🕕 6:00 – 7:45 PM (followed by a networking reception)
📍 Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (Singapore)
ARC 380, 380 Jalan Besar, #11-01, Singapore 209000
🤝 Co-organised by:
Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) Singapore
Technical University of Munich (TUM) Asia
📌 Registration required:
👉 https://bit.ly/AgenticAI2026
Download the agenda: Seminar Programme_ Agentic AI in an Emerging New World Order What's at Stake for Middle and Small States_KAS-TUM Asia Event.pdf
