Artificial Intelligence and Autonomous Weapons: Ethics, Strategy, and Battlefield Intelligence
Artificial Intelligence is transforming the battlefield—and raising profound ethical and strategic questions. Welcome to AI and Autonomous Weapons: Ethics, Strategy, and Battlefield Intelligence! You’re about to embark on a fascinating journey into the future of warfare. This course is designed to challenge your thinking, expand your understanding, and equip you with the tools to critically assess the role of AI in modern conflict.This course explores the intersection of cutting-edge AI technologies and autonomous weapons systems, guiding learners through the moral dilemmas, legal frameworks, and geopolitical consequences of machine-led warfare.
What you’ll learn
- Understand the core technologies behind autonomous weapons and military AI.
- Analyze ethical dilemmas surrounding machine-led decision-making in warfare.
- Evaluate international legal frameworks and accountability challenges.
- Assess strategic implications of AI in global security and conflict escalation.
- Explore real-world applications of AI in threat detection and battlefield intelligence.
- Propose responsible innovation strategies for future military AI development.
Course Content
- Foundations of Military AI –> 5 lectures • 50min.
- Section 2: Autonomous Weapons Systems –> 4 lectures • 35min.
- Section 3: Ethical Dilemmas and Legal Frameworks –> 4 lectures • 41min.
- Section 4: Strategic Implications and Global Power Shifts –> 4 lectures • 42min.
- Section 5: Governance, Regulation, and the Future of AI Warfare –> 4 lectures • 40min.
- Final Section: Key Takeaways, Closing Reflection & Course Conclusion –> 1 lecture • 12min.
Requirements
Artificial Intelligence is transforming the battlefield—and raising profound ethical and strategic questions. Welcome to AI and Autonomous Weapons: Ethics, Strategy, and Battlefield Intelligence! You’re about to embark on a fascinating journey into the future of warfare. This course is designed to challenge your thinking, expand your understanding, and equip you with the tools to critically assess the role of AI in modern conflict.This course explores the intersection of cutting-edge AI technologies and autonomous weapons systems, guiding learners through the moral dilemmas, legal frameworks, and geopolitical consequences of machine-led warfare.
From drones and loitering munitions to predictive threat detection and real-time decision-making, we’ll examine how AI is reshaping military operations. You’ll learn how algorithms influence target selection, surveillance, and command systems, and what it means when machines make life-or-death decisions. Explore the moral dilemmas, strategic risks, and real-world applications of artificial intelligence in modern warfare and defense systems.We’ll also dive into the global arms race, the risks of escalation, and the challenges of accountability when autonomous systems fail.
Whether you’re a student of international relations, a tech enthusiast, a defense analyst, or simply curious about the future of warfare, this course offers a balanced, thought-provoking journey into one of the most urgent topics of our time. No prior technical background is required—just a willingness to engage critically with the ethical and strategic dimensions of AI in combat.