How Technology is Changing Warfare (Austin)

Join BENS members and guests for a luncheon discussion on how technology is changing warfare with Emily Harding, Director, Intelligence, National Security and Technology Program (INT) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies.

In a piece Ms. Harding coauthored last September, the authors wrote that the recent conflicts in Ukraine and the Middle East have represented a leap forward in the employment of technology on the battlefield by sophisticated actors. Ukraine and Russia have each evolved to shape a battlefield defined by drone warfare and drawn to a stalemate, and Israel has used its technological edge, including AI-generated target recommendations, to devastate Hamas.
Ultimately, the next generation of warfare will not be defined solely by who possesses the most advanced technology, but by who can integrate, adapt, and counter it the fastest.

However, overdependence on technology courts dangerous consequences. For example, Israel’s tech-intensive Gaza border defenses clearly failed on October 7, 2023, and the Israeli government has also been heavily criticized for its use of AI systems for targeting and identifying alleged members of Hamas in large crowds. Further, in the race to out-innovate the adversary, there is a real risk of overlooking ethical considerations and the need for rigorous testing in favor of speed and lethality. Ms. Harding will discuss how emerging technologies are reshaping modern warfare by considering the ongoing conflicts in Ukraine and around Israel.

Speaker Background
Emily Harding is director of the Intelligence, National Security, and Technology (INT) Program and vice president of the Defense and Security Department (DSD) at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. Ms. Harding has established herself as an expert on how technology is revolutionizing national security work. She has also served in a series of high-profile national security positions at critical moments. Ms. Harding is an adjunct lecturer at the Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Her analysis has appeared in the Wall Street Journal, BBC, NPR, Bloomberg, and other outlets. She holds a master’s degree from Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government and a bachelor’s degree from the University of Virginia.

Organizer:
Matthew Elias
melias@bens.org

Cost: $55