Military force and artificial intelligence - war scenarios in the 21st century

The Zeitenwende – marking a historical turning point – in the wake of Russia’s war against Ukraine necessitates no less than a reconception of the global peace order which had been established in the 20th century. At the same time, conflict scenarios in different regions of the world are being adapted to new types of AI-based weapons systems, some of which are already in use. Geopolitical strategies, military realities and armament decisions are currently adapting to these conditions without it being possible to foresee which new order could take their place.

This dynamic also affects technical developments that are not only orientated and aligned to political goals in a military context. Rather, they are closely linked to larger technological paradigms such as artificial intelligence and the resulting autonomy of technical systems. In the field of military technology, this results in new strategic possibilities and feasibility fantasies, the means of armed conflict are changing and new areas of conflict are emerging.

With the rapidly changing geopolitical and technical realities, public interest in these complex problems and the possible future developments associated with them has also grown. Parliamentary scrutiny of defence policy and strategic decisions is an urgent task, but one that represents a constantly growing challenge in view of this complexity. Therefore the aim of the evening event "Military force and artificial intelligence - war scenarios in the 21st century" will be promoting civil society participation in these democratic processes.