Technology and War

Undergraduate

The course explores the international security implications of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence, cyberweapons, hypersonic missiles, and so-called killer robots. The first half of the course offers a deep dive into the transformative military and civilian technologies of the 20th century, examining how doctrine and culture shaped the development, acquisition, and deployment of key systems like submarines, bomber aircraft, and nuclear bombs, and how these technologies, in turn, shaped international security. In the second half of the course, we apply the lessons of the past to make theoretically guided predictions. What norms will guide the use of new technologies, and what weapons should or should not be developed? Are arms races inevitable? What might improve the prospects for arms control of emerging technologies? SO 0 Course cr TTh 11:35am-12:25pm