RUSI JournalVOLUME 166ISSUE 6/7

Beyond the ‘Geo’ in Geopolitics: The Digital Transformation of Power

An artistic representation of a digitally connected city with links between tall buildings

The metaverse is likely to weaken the historical links between geography, demography and power. Courtesy of dodotone/Adobe Stock


Digital technologies are weakening the traditional links between geography and demography, and military and economic power.

In this article, Keith Dear argues that demographic and geographic constraints on national power are reducing in two ways. First, that automation, robotics and AI reduce states’ dependence on people to create wealth and to scale military forces to deter or fight. Second, while geography was once the only arena for international competition, today, economic, military and political contests increasingly extend to the digital metaverse. He argues that we are moving beyond the ‘geo’ in geopolitics, witnessing the digital transformation of power.

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Dr Keith Dear

Associate Fellow

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