Artificial intelligence has become the newest domain of weaponization — not only in the battlefield sense of autonomous systems and AI-assisted targeting, but in a much broader one: information, data, and even everyday digital infrastructure can now be turned into instruments of coercion and conflict. From algorithmically-driven disinformation campaigns to AI-enabled cyberattacks on critical infrastructure, the same technologies that promise efficiency and innovation are increasingly being repurposed as tools of pressure, sabotage, and war.
This panel examines this expanding notion of weaponization: how militaries are integrating AI into lethal decision-making and what that means for human control and accountability; how state and non-state actors alike are weaponizing information ecosystems to destabilize societies without ever firing a shot; and how the line between civilian and military applications of AI is becoming increasingly difficult to draw; raising urgent questions about regulation, deterrence, and the resilience of open societies.
The discussion will offer the audience a clear-eyed look at how quickly AI is reshaping not just how wars are fought, but what counts as a weapon in the first place.
