Rethinking Power and Agency under Global Uncertainty: Executive Authority, Religion and Artificial Intelligence

This Research Topic focuses on the transformation of political authority and human agency under conditions of systemic uncertainty in contemporary geopolitics. Rather than accepting isolated analyses of these trends, this Research Topic strictly prioritizes the intersections between them. Specifically, we investigate how executive powers navigate systemic uncertainty by synthesizing algorithmic tools (AI) with normative/religious frameworks of legitimacy.Recent geopolitical developments suggest a shift away from frameworks based on calculable risk toward forms of systemic uncertainty that challenge established analytical categories in international relations and political analysis. Contemporary multipolar configurations appear less as stable blocs and more as fluid, internally heterogeneous formations whose interactions generate indeterminate and often non-linear outcomes.Within this context, this Research Topic proposes to examine the transformation of power through three intersecting dynamics: 1) the consolidation and reconfiguration of executive authority beyond classical democratic/autocratic distinctions; 2) the re-emergence of religious actors as sources of political legitimation and contestation across geopolitical spaces; and 3) the increasing autonomy of technological systems, particularly Artificial Intelligence, in domains traditionally associated with human decision-making.The Research Topic welcomes contributions that explicitly explore their convergence and cumulative effects on sovereignty, institutional authority, the public/private divide and the status of human agency. Particular attention is given to whether ‘the people’ as a central category of political thought is being displaced, transformed or re-articulated under these emerging conditions.The convergence of geopolitical fragmentation, institutional transformation and technological acceleration underscores the need for analytical frameworks capable of addressing forms of uncertainty that extend beyond established conceptual boundaries. By bringing together perspectives from international relations, political theory and technology governance, this Special Issue aims to contribute to ongoing debates on the future of authority, legitimacy and agency in global politics.Areas of Interest:Executive Power and the Reconfiguration of Political AuthorityThis theme focuses on how executive power has developed and transformed in ways that challenge established boundaries between institutions. Under conditions of systemic uncertainty, contemporary governance practices increasingly blur the distinction between democratic and non-democratic regimes. Contributions are especially encouraged to examine how these reconfigured executive authorities intersect with technological acceleration (AI) and look toward alternative (including religious) frameworks of legitimacy to maintain institutional stability and political accountability.Religious Actors, Fragmentation and Competing Regimes of LegitimacyThis theme examines the geopolitical role of religion, not only as a component of identity but also as a source of authority, mobilisation and normative order. Processes of fragmentation, contestation and alignment between religious and political institutions are particularly noteworthy in a global landscape characterised by escalating tensions. This theme specifically welcomes papers exploring how religious institutions compete with or complement the rise of data-driven, algorithmic statecraft to create new regimes of legitimacy.Technological Autonomy and the Transformation of Human AgencyThis theme examines how advanced technologies, such as AI, are reshaping decision-making in areas including security, governance and the economy. Contributions investigate the ways in which technological systems increasingly mediate, structure or displace human agency and the implications of this for the differentiation between public and private spheres. Special emphasis is placed on how this technological autonomy challenges traditional sovereignty and co-evolves with centralized executive structures and non-secular forms of political authority.Indicative questions include:• How do contemporary executives utilize AI and data-driven governance while simultaneously leveraging religious narratives to sustain authority?• In what ways does the transition to autonomous technological systems (AI) displace “the people” as the primary political subject and how do religious actors fill this vacuum of agency?• How is the distinction between public authority and private technological infrastructure being reconfigured across these intersecting domains?• To what extent do modern executive powers transcend the democracy-autocracy dichotomy by combining algorithmic surveillance with non-secular forms of political mobilization?• How do transnational religious institutions use advanced communication technologies and AI platforms to contest or reshape traditional state sovereignty?• In what ways do autonomous technological systems alter the legal accountability of executive decisions when those decisions are legitimized through non-rational or religious frameworks? Topic editors: Carlos Leone, Dora Papadopoulou Source: https://www.frontiersin.org/research-topics/82064/rethinking-power-and-agency-under-global-uncertainty-executive-authority-religion-and-artificial-intelligence