One significant impact of artificial intelligence (AI) advancement on international relations (IR) studies lies in its compulsion for the discipline to reflect upon and reconsider the dual habitual thinking patterns of “dehumanization” and “anthropomorphization.” This technological revolution presents an opportunity to recentralize the “human” in the discipline. “Benevolence” (ren) and “wisdom” (zhi) constitute two key dimensions of humanity, characterized by free will and the resulting complexity, uncertainty, and possibilities. While AI can mimic human intellectual activities and expressions of benevolence, it lacks the intrinsic capacity to experience ren and zhi, rendering it “human-like but not human.” This insight directly addresses the academic limitations and dilemmas faced by IR in its theoretical construction and disciplinary concerns, which often simplify research subjects through rational assumptions. In the AI era, IR must critically re-examine its traditional “human-neglecting” approach, shifting toward a human-centered research paradigm that prioritizes individual well-being, emotions, and morality. This entails transcending conventional rationalist assumptions and exploring a balance between technology and humanism to ensure AI serves as a technological force that safeguards rather than diminishes humanity.