WENTING HE
Introduction
Enabling technologies1—such as advanced materials, microchips and sensors, computing power and connectivity infrastructure—are driving innovation and the development of capabilities across other areas, not least in information and communications technologies (ICTs), artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous systems. Advances in these technologies are revolutionising the digital ecosystem, expanding the possibilities for their development and use for military purposes. As enabling technologies continue to advance, it becomes increasingly important to address their implications for international peace and security. Continuous horizon scanning enables early detection of new and emerging technological developments and their applications, thus playing an important role in the timely assessment of both the benefits and potential risks of these technologies.
In the 2024 report on “Current developments in science and technology and their potential impact on international security and disarmament efforts”, the United Nations Secretary-General underscores the continuing concerns that developments in science and technology of relevance to security and disarmament are outpacing the capacity of normative and governance frameworks to manage the associated risks.2 While various intergovernmental processes have made strides in tackling the security implications of certain technology areas, such as ICTs and lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), comparatively less attention has been devoted to the underlying technologies that are enabling or driving their further developments. This underscores the urgent need for a more thorough and comprehensive examination of enabling technologies as well as their potential impacts on international security.
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