A wide range of items are now recognised as “dual use”, capable of being employed for both civil and military purposes. From drones, robots, and software including AI to chemical and biological tools, the term has evolved beyond its original post-World War 2 meaning as a category of nuclear materials that could serve both the energy sector and the development of nuclear weapons. Today, anything is a weapon and may be used as such, especially in hybrid warfare. We live in an era when countless technologies can be used with benign or hostile intent, and when the governance mechanisms of global trade are being shaken under heightened geopolitical tensions. Under such circumstances, innovation, application, and regulation all become increasingly fraught. Businesses may find themselves drawn into new dilemmas if their technology is turned to malign ends, or seek opportunities that arise from a new era of dual use. Governments must act judiciously in an age when many items may be weaponised against them…or by them.
Kathleen M. Vogel is Professor at Arizona State University’s School for the Future of Innovation in Society and a Senior Global Futures Scientist. With a Ph.D. in bio-physical chemistry from Princeton, she has served as a Jefferson Science Fellow and William C. Foster Fellow at the U.S. Department of State. Her research focuses on knowledge production in security and intelligence.
Taskeen Ali is a Space Market Development Expert at the European Space Agency and a recognized thought leader across institutions including the UK Parliament, UN, and OECD. She also teaches in executive programs and the MBA at the University of Oxford.
Peter Scoblic is the Sam Nunn Distinguished Fellow at the Nuclear Threat Initiative and is writing a history of decision-making. A senior fellow at New America and associate at CSIS, he was previously executive editor of The New Republic and Foreign Policy, and served on the Senate Foreign Relations Committee.
Ryan Ramsey is COO of First Light Fusion, a UK inertial fusion company. A former Royal Navy submarine captain, he has held senior roles at National Grid and Shell, and has worked with the US and Dutch navies and counter-terrorism forces.
Moderator: Dr. Matt Finch is an Associate Fellow at Oxford’s Saïd Business School and adviser to the UK All-Party Parliamentary Group for Future Generations. He served on ENISA’s Strategic Foresight group and is part of Australia’s National Security College Futures Council.
