This research examines how the United States, China, and other states pursue international status and legitimacy amidst rapid artificial intelligence development and broader great power competition. Through a comparative case study combining constructivist international relations theory with sociological insights, the dissertation analyzes how states at different positions in an emerging global AI hierarchy pursue status and prestige through distinct mechanisms. By treating AI as a dual technological and sociotechnical system and examining observable state performances across domestic and international arenas, this research illuminates how states construct meaning around technological advancement and operationalize legitimation imperatives in ways that carry profound implications for international stability, technological risk, and the future of AI development and governance.
DPhil Student
Project role: Researcher
Kayla Blomquist is a DPhil researcher at the OII focused on international AI governance approaches. She is the Co-founder and Director of the Oxford China Policy Lab and previously served as a US Diplomat to the People's Republic of China (2018-2021)
Senior Research Fellow
Project role: PhD Supervisor
Ralph Schroeder has interests in shared virtual environments and the sociology of science and technology. His current research is related to digital media and populism, climate change online, AI and social theory, and the internet in China and India.
