Sarah Rogers: Free Speech, AI Diplomacy, and What America Owes Its Allies

Public diplomacy involves managing the relationship between the American government and foreign publics, moving beyond traditional state-to-state interactions. A significant shift has occurred within the State Department, transitioning from an apparatus that requested content removal and funded censorship to one that prioritizes transparency, truth, and reconciliation. Digital freedom is now a core national security issue, focusing on combating foreign cyber threats and promoting content provenance rather than instituting opaque, upstream censorship. Empowering users to verify information through tools like community notes is preferred over government-led suppression of narratives.

AI represents the most significant soft power tool for the United States, provided it maintains a "Western soul"—reasoning individualistically, prioritizing user consent, and operating on rules-based principles. Global regulatory environments, particularly in the EU and UK, pose risks by imposing strict liability and censorship laws on American platforms. These regulations often force companies to choose between compliance and free expression. Furthermore, AI development faces threats from restrictive copyright interpretations and transparency mandates that could compromise competitive advantages by exposing model weights to foreign adversaries.

National security requires that AI development remains aligned with Western values through democratic deliberation rather than the fiat of tech executives. Regulatory environments should favor viewpoint neutrality, avoiding the creation of capricious cudgels that disproportionately target specific political groups. Private companies are encouraged to adopt tools that empower user curation rather than engaging in viewpoint-based suppression. The government must stand up for American companies when their interests and First Amendment-protected speech are threatened by foreign regulatory overreach, ensuring that the digital space remains an engine for innovation and liberty.