Arctic governance in the AI era: opportunities, challenges, and risk mitigation

Abstract

Artificial intelligence (AI) is exerting an increasing influence on Arctic governance, prompting Arctic states and the global community to develop AI technologies and engage in technological competition. This study examines Arctic governance in the AI era, analysing the opportunities and challenges posed by AI and proposing strategies for risk mitigation. We argue that AI offers important opportunities for enhancing predictive accuracy, optimising resource exploration, and facilitating cooperative governance in the Arctic. At the same time, AI presents multiple challenges: algorithmic bias may compromise the fairness of decision-making, technological dependence could contribute to governance imbalances, the black-box nature of many AI systems could undermine transparency, and ethical controversies and questions of public acceptance remain unresolved. Through transparent algorithm design, the establishment of technical standards and ethical guidelines, and the construction of multi-stakeholder governance frameworks, these risks could be mitigated to support more sustainable Arctic governance.