Skip to content
Unit 15Emerging Disruptive Technologies - Challenges for Arms Control
All chapters
  1. 1. Introduction to Emerging and Disruptive Technologies: Basic Concepts
  2. 2. Uncrewed military systems
  3. 3. Autonomy in weapons systems
  4. 4. Artificial intelligence and quantum computing
  5. 5. 3D printing, Nanotechnology and Human Enhancement
  6. 6. Arms control and EDT – new concepts, new opportunities?
  7. 7. The EU and emerging technologies
Your bookmarks

When you add chapters to your bookmarks they'll appear here.

Photo of a drone travelling through blue skies seen from below.

Above: Drone

F. Schmidt / Shutterstock

Emerging Disruptive Technologies - Challenges for Arms Control

The military use of certain emerging technologies not only has the potential to revolutionise warfare, but also to cause disruption on the international stage. At the same time, traditional arms control measures have little or no effect. New approaches are needed but discussion on the issue has so far been limited.

Start learning unit

Chapters

  1. 1. Introduction to Emerging and Disruptive Technologies: Basic Concepts

  2. 2. Uncrewed military systems

  3. 3. Autonomy in weapons systems

  4. 4. Artificial intelligence and quantum computing

  5. 5. 3D printing, Nanotechnology and Human Enhancement

  6. 6. Arms control and EDT – new concepts, new opportunities?

  7. 7. The EU and emerging technologies

Learning Objectives

Learning objectives

In this course unit, students are, first, introduced to the debate surrounding the military use of so-called ‘emerging disruptive technologies’ (EDTs). The terms ‘emerging’ and ‘disruptive’ are discussed and the impact of ‘disruptive’ technologies on international security and stability is highlighted, before looking at examples of some of the technologies that often fall under the term EDT. This enables students to scrutinise the use of the concepts and at the same time apply them to other new technologies. Second, students learn the key technical principles of the technologies under discussion, which enables them to better assess the technical details that often characterise the debates. Thirdly, students learn why traditional concepts of arms control are difficult to apply to many EDTs, enabling them to assess the prospects for successful arms control in other new technologies.

Credits

  • Niklas Schoernig profile image

    Niklas Schoernig

    Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF)

    Dr Niklas Schörnig is senior research at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), Germany, and co-head of PRIF’s research group Emerging Disruptive Technologies. He regularly teaches at the Goethe-University Frankfurt. His research focusses on modern warfare, arms control issues and the use of emerging technologies for arms control. His recent publications include, inter alia, “Armament, Arms Control and Artificial Intelligence. The Janus-faced Nature of Machine Learning in the Military Realm” (edited with Thomas Reinhold, Springer, 2022). You can follow Niklas on X/Twitter and BlueSky @niklasschoernig.

  • Frank Sauer profile image

    Frank Sauer

    Bundeswehr University Munich

    PD Dr Frank Sauer is the Head of Research at the Metis Institute for Strategy and Foresight as well as a Senior Research Fellow at the Bundeswehr University Munich. His main research foci are nuclear issues and emerging technologies. He is the author of the book Atomic Anxiety: Deterrence, Taboo and the Non-Use of US Nuclear Weapons and has had various articles published in journals such as Survival, Security Dialogue, Contemporary Security Policy and the International Review of the Red Cross. Frank also serves on various expert panels advising governments, civil society and industry. He co-hosts the multiple award-winning German language podcast Sicherheitshalber on all things security and defence. You can follow Frank on X/Twitter and BlueSky @drfranksauer.

Start learning unit
Download PDF

Disclosures

Content Warning

This learning unit may contain audio-visual material or texts, which may not be suitable for all audiences.

Funding

This Learning Unit was produced with financial assistance from the European Union. The contents of this Learning Unit are however the sole responsibility of the author(s) and should under no circumstances be regarded as reflecting the position of the European Union.

External Links

The site may contain hyperlink text references (’Links’) to other sites that are offered by third parties. These Links are made available solely for the purpose of information and as an additional service for users. Only the respective operator is responsible for all content and statements on linked Internet sites. Therefore, PRIF cannot guarantee the correctness and accuracy or any other aspect of third party sites.

Preferred Citation

Niklas Schoernig and Frank Sauer, "Emerging Disruptive Technologies - Challenges for Arms Control" in EUNPDC eLearning, ed. Niklas Schörnig, Peace Research Institute Frankfurt. Available at https://eunpdc-elearning.netlify.app/lu-15/, last modified 5 May 2025

Editorial Note

This is a beta version of the learning unit, which is regularly optimised. Please report any factual errors or discrepancies to the publisher. (support(at)nonproliferation-elearning.eu). Please note that although the original text was written by the authors, the video production and simplifications were carried out by PRIF.

The EU Non-Proliferation and Disarmament eLearning Course aims to cover all aspects of the EU non-proliferation and disarmament agenda. It's produced by PRIF with financial assistance of the European Union. The contents of individual learning units are the sole responsibility of the respective authors and don't necessariy reflect the position of the European Union.