Small Wars Journal

The Legal and Ethical Complexity of Developing ‘Super Soldiers’

Thu, 05/17/2018 - 6:39am

The Legal and Ethical Complexity of Developing ‘Super Soldiers’

Charlie Dunlap

There has been a lot of discussion recently about what impact developments in artificial intelligence might have on the military, but there is also a growing amount of talk regarding how emerging advancements in human intelligence will influence tomorrow’s wars – much thanks to remarkable work occurring in neuroscience.

Fortunately, we have one of the world’s experts right here at Duke Law, Professor Nita Farahany.  At our annual LENS conference earlier this year she gave an absolutely mesmerizing presentation entitled “The Legal and Ethical Complexity of Developing ‘Super Soldiers’” What did she address?  Here’s an overview:

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Neuro-monitoring (The quantified self)

Neuro-modulation (The “enhanced” self)

Neuro-projection (The extended self)

Sound too daunting for you?  Here’s where Nita’s teaching gifts come into play: somehow she manages to translate these complex topics into understandable language for the layperson.  She’s not only brilliant and witty, she also knows how to communicate  – she makes science intriguing to every listener (really!!!).  I guarantee you that watching her fascinating presentation is time truly well spent.

This is a must-watch video for anyone interested in the future of war!  Again, you can find it here.

PS: You may also want to take look at this post as well (“The next big thing in interrogations: it isn’t torture, but will it be (and should it be) accepted?”)

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This article was originally published by Lawfire and is re-posted here with the author’s permission.