The unregulated development and deployment of emerging technologies—referring to scientific and technical developments that, if applied in the military sphere, could have transformative effects on the future of warfare in unpredictable and potentially hazardous, destabilizing ways—could increase the risk of accidental and unintended conflict escalation. Whether manifested in new domains, new applications, or new military capabilities, these technologies can include hypersonic weapons, artificial intelligence-enabled capabilities, cyberspace operations, counterspace capabilities, and the like.
The Arms Control Association (ACA), in conjunction with other experts and organizations, has proposed various measures to reduce such risks, as laid out in issue briefs, reports, articles in Arms Control Today, and more. To receive updates on developments in this field, join today or sign up for our regular updates list.
| CHARTS | REPORTS |
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Pentagon Plans Mass Autonomous Weapons Deployment
October 1, 2023
The United States, unable to rely exclusively on human-operated weapons systems to prevail in a future war with China, must field autonomous weapons systems controlled by artificial intelligence, a senior defense official says.
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States Urge UN Investigation of Iran Drone Sales
September 1, 2023
Despite evidence that Iran exported drones to Russia in violation of Security Council restrictions, a probe appears unlikely after the UN Secretariat did not act on a similar request last year.
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Congressman Aims to Bolster U.S. Hypersonics Testing
July 1, 2023
The Republican chairman of a House Armed Services subcommittee agrees with the Pentagon that the development of hypersonic weapons systems needs to be accelerated.
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ChatGPT Sparks U.S. Debate Over Military Use of AI
June 1, 2023
In the U.S. Congress and among the public, there are rising questions about the benefits and risks of commercializing these powerful but error-prone technologies, including in the military sphere.
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Arms Control Tomorrow: Strategies to Mitigate the Risks of New and Emerging Technologies
May 18, 2023
This report provides an overview of the potentially destabilizing effects of several new and emerging technologies and their respective military applications. It aims to provide decision-makers with a better understanding of how to mitigate the risks and reduce the chances that a major power conflict or confrontation escalates to the nuclear level through a range of arms control and risk reduction measures.
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U.S. Scraps Purchase of Hypersonic Boost-Glide Vehicle
May 1, 2023
The planned purchase of the Air Force’s hypersonic boost-glide system was canceled due to a lackluster testing record.
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Dueling Views on AI, Autonomous Weapons
April 1, 2023
The international debate over controlling artificial intelligence and autonomous weapons systems is dividing into two camps.
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Pentagon Seeks to Facilitate Autonomous Weapons Deployment
March 1, 2023
A new directive lays out a road map for putting these new weapons into the field.
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U.S. Faces Wins, Losses With Hypersonic Weapons
March 1, 2023
Despite a successful test flight of one system, the Pentagon’s accelerated drive for hypersonic capabilities faces sharp criticism from critics.
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U.S. Plan for "Responsible Military Use of AI" Constructive but Inadequate
February 16, 2023
While a positive signal, the U.S.-proposed "Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy" ultimately proves an inadequate response to the militarization of AI and the risks posed by lethal autonomous weapons, according to experts.