Structural dilemmas of PeaceTech: AI, power, and peacebuilding in the digital age

PeaceTech, the use of AI and other digital technologies in peacebuilding, is often praised as a transformative approach to conflict prevention and dialogue. Yet the field remains conceptually vague and ethically fraught. Tools meant to empower communities can also enable surveillance when crowdsourced data exposes vulnerable groups. Innovation is often constrained by legacy institutions that collect data but lack the capacity to interpret or act on it. AI powered platforms may increase visibility, but early warning alerts frequently fail to produce effective responses. At the same time, corporate control over infrastructures such as cloud services and satellite internet raises concerns about the public good, while globally designed systems often clash with local realities and reinforce digital colonialism. Drawing on scholarship and practitioner insights, this article argues that these are structural rather than accidental problems. It calls for guardrails including service continuity, community data ownership, algorithmic accountability, and response protocols tied to funding, solidarity, and justice.