PUBPOL 2120

Disruptive and Emerging Technologies: Policy and Practice

Course Description

Course information provided by the Courses of Study 2023-2024.

Artificial Intelligence (AI), autonomous systems, robotics, and quantum technologies (to name but a few) present novel, disruptive, and often unforeseen challenges for policymakers globally. This half-semester course will provide an overview of critical technology policy challenges, with a focus on 4th Industrial Revolution technologies and their impact on international peace and security. Students will begin by exploring the theories of technological innovation and the history of disruptive and emerging technologies in practice. A focused case study approach is then adopted to present a week-by-week real-world analysis of the current pressing technological and security challenges faced by policymakers at a domestic and international level. As a means to prepare for the final assessments, students will produce a mid-term paper answering the question 'How has the 4th Industrial Revolution impacted international peace and security?' (5 pages of double-spaced text excluding tables, figures, and references). Students will then be required to conduct independent research on a technology of their choice from the module. Towards the end of term, the students will present on this research, and write a short policy report on the technology researched, with a focus on the security and policy challenges it presents (10-12 pages of double-spaced text excluding tables, figures, and references). Presentations will be 10 mins (max) and will focus on your chosen topic for the policy report. Students will present in the final week of class.

When Offered Fall.

• Recall key 4IR technologies and their characteristics relevant to international peace and security. List historical examples of disruptive technologies and their impact international policy.
• Summarize the foundational theoretical concepts of technology studies and principles of international peace and security. Explain how disruptive technologies are altering traditional approaches to international peace and security.
• Analyze case studies to demonstrate how specific disruptive technologies have influenced international security policy. Propose practical policy recommendations for mitigating the negative effects of disruptive technologies on society (domestically and internationally).
• Evaluate the ethical implications of using emerging technologies in the context of defense. Compare and contrast the impact of different disruptive technologies on international peace and security, applied to specific geopolitical contexts.

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