Part of the Geopolitics and Global Futures Symposium 2022.

Changing our world - for good or ill?

In the last few years, the field of transformative technologies has expanded at a dizzying rate. While scientific advances can offer untold benefits to humanity, they also pose a myriad of thorny questions about equality, ethics, security – and our very existence. This course examines the latest developments in transformative technologies, including but not limited to Artificial Intelligence (AI), autonomous weapons, Big Data, and virtual reality. It examines the short and long-term ramifications of these technologies in today’s interconnected world.

Learning outcomes

The course provides you with a comprehensive and analytical overview of the role that transformative technologies have started to play in many fields, as well as their ethical and security implications. You will also gain better understanding of how transformative innovations will impact future conflicts. Participants will develop four key competences:

• define and understand the impact of transformative technologies
• analyse the impact of such technologies on questions of moral philosophy and global security
• adopt critical thinking skills for analysing the impact of transformative technologies
• identify key future risks and debates surrounding advances in these technologies

Speakers

• Professor Nayef Al-Rodhan, GCSP and University of Oxford

Introduction and Overview: Transformative Technologies and the Future of Global Security

• Dr Vanessa Camilleri, Senior Lecturer, Department of Artificial Intelligence, Faculty of ICT, University of Malta

Societal Implications of Augmented Reality

• Dr Neil Renic, Senior Researcher, Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH), Hamburg, Germany

Autonomous Weapons

• Dr Markus Schmidt, Founder and Team Leader, Biofaction, Vienna, Austria

Synthetic Biology

• Dr Lennart Maschmeyer, Senior Researcher, the Center for Security Studies, Zurich, Switzerland

Cybersecurity and Subversion

• Ms Alexandra Seymour, Associate Fellow, Technology and National Security Program, Center for a New American Security, Washington DC, USA

Emerging Technologies and National Security

• Captain James E. Fanell, GCSP Government Fellow

Hypersonic Missiles

This course is designed for officials from governments and international organisations, as well as members of the security and defence policy planning and the intelligence communities. This course is also relevant to representatives from the private sector and nongovernmental organisations, journalists, and anyone with a professional interest in understanding future international security challenges.

Apply one month before the course start date to qualify for a 15% discount. Special discount for GCSP Alumni. Connect to MyGCSP for details.