Dr Mohammad Eslami1, Dr Maria Papageorgiou3, Dr Alena Vieira1, Professor Christian Kaunert5, Dr Benjamin Zala
1University Of Minho, Braga, Portugal, 2California State University, San Marcos, United States, 3Newcastle University, Newcastle, United Kingdom, 4 Deree – The American College of Greece, Athens, Greece, 5Dublin City University, Ireland
Biography:
Mohammad Eslami is a Research Fellow in Middle East Security at the Research Centre for Political Science. He was also a fellow of the Arms Control Negotiation Academy led by the Davis Centre for Russian and Eurasian Studies at Harvard University. Mohammad is an expert in the field of emerging military technologies. He has been the editor of two books: The Arms Race in the Middle East published by Springer, and AI and the Global Arms Race, which is forthcoming from Manchester University Press.
Maria Papageorgiou is a Leverhulme Early Career Scholar at Newcastle University UK. Before that, she taught at the University of Exeter, UCL and SOAS University. Her research interests includes International Relations theory, Sino-Russian relations and China’s global rise. disinformation synergies amidst the 2024 US elections. She has testified at the U.S.-China Economic and Security Review Commission at U.S. Congress and published in several journals and think tanks.
Christian Kaunert is a Professor of International Security at Dublin City University, Ireland. He is also Professor of Policing and Security and Director of the International Centre for Policing and Security at the University of South Wales. In addition, he is the Jean Monnet Chair, Director of the Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, Director of the Jean Monnet Network on EU Counter-Terrorism and Director of the Horizon Europe Marie Curie Doctoral Training Network EUGLOCTER.Orcid: 0000-0002-4493-2235
Benjamin Zala is Senior Lecturer in Politics and International Relations at Monash University. His work focuses on the politics of the great powers and the management of nuclear weapons and has appeared in over a dozen different peer-reviewed journals. He is author, co-author, or editor of three books: The Global Third Nuclear Age (Routledge, 2025), Power in International Society (forthcoming, Oxford University Press, 2025) and National Perspectives on a Multipolar Order (Manchester University Press, 2021). Ben has been a Stanton Nuclear Security Fellow at Harvard University and has previously held positions at the ANU, University of Leicester, and Chatham House.
Abstract:
AI has emerged as a transformative force in great power relations, reshaping the dynamics of competition and cooperation among nations like the United States, China, and Russia. Its integration into military strategies has intensified the global arms race, emphasizing technological sophistication over traditional measures of military superiority. AI-driven weapons, such as Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS) are increasingly embedded in states arsenals redefining power balances while expanding the scope of both conventional and asymmetric warfare.
This panel will explore how AI technologies, including cyber capabilities and generative AI, are employed in areas like cyberattacks, disinformation campaigns, and destabilization efforts. These tools challenge conventional security paradigms by enabling asymmetric warfare that destabilizes societies, manipulates public opinion, and undermines trust in institutions. Such tactics represent a shift from physical battlegrounds to digital and informational domains, blurring the lines between war and peace.
By integrating these capabilities, states escalate the qualitative arms race, creating a perpetual state of low-intensity conflict and complicating traditional notions of deterrence and stability. This session aims to provide a nuanced understanding of AI’s profound impact on military strategies and the broader international security landscape refuelling great power competition. The goal of this discussion is to foster a dialogue on mitigating AI destabilizing effects while addressing the ethical and practical challenges of AI militarization.