The diversification of threats, and the people behind them, are generating new challenges for the defence and security communities, and to society as a whole.

Both the European Defence Industrial Strategy (EDIS) and the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP) aim to enhance the Union's defence industrial readiness and reinforce its capacity to protect its citizens. EU allies and partners may also benefit from these initiatives including NATO and Ukraine.

Grey conflict, hybrid warfare and technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous weapons systems, big data, biotechnologies, hypersonic glide vehicle and quantum technologies are changing the way developed countries conduct wars.

The European Union Institute for Security Studies (EUISS) is the EU’s foreign and security policy think tank. We provide critical analysis and insights to inform the EU’s strategic choices.

The European Defence Agency (EDA) has been working on Technology Watch & Foresight since 2015. These activities provide the necessary input for our technology evaluation: the identification and assessment of the impact in the long-term of new technologies. The process is embedded in the Overarching Strategic Research Agenda (OSRA) tool chain, as the EDA R&T Planning Process.

To better protect its citizens and defend its values, the EU needs to take strategic action on defence and increase its capacity to act autonomously.

Technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), autonomous systems and quantum technologies are changing the world and the way NATO operates. These and other emerging and disruptive technologies (EDTs) present both risks and opportunities for NATO and Allies. That’s why the Alliance is working with public and private sector partners, academia and civil society to develop and adopt new technologies, establish international principles of responsible use, and maintain NATO’s technological edge through innovation.

The capabilities of AI technologies have continued to evolve at an ever more rapid pace. In particular, there has been unprecedented development and widespread availability of powerful emerging AI technologies, such as generative AI. NATO’s 2021 AI Strategy set out a Strategic Vision, with four Aims and six Outcomes. Within the AI Strategy, Allies endorsed six Principles of Responsible Use (PRUs) for AI in Defence, i.e. Lawfulness, Responsibility and Accountability, Explainability and Traceability, Reliability, Governability and Bias Mitigation.

As artificial intelligence continues to evolve, the need for effective governance mechanisms to manage its use, and mitigate potential hazards, grows.

The advance of artificial intelligence (AI) for military purposes raises profoundly worrying questions for humanity. We take a look at some of the key questions and concerns surrounding the use of AI, especially machine learning, in armed conflict.

With a view to supporting current efforts to establish internationally agreed limits on autonomous weapon systems to address the concern they raise, ICRC recommends that States adopt new legally binding rules.