Advances in artificial intelligence are accelerating the capacity to decode, manipulate, and weaponize biological information at unprecedented scale. This panel examines the convergence of AI and biotechnology in enabling precision targeting of genetic traits—reshaping deterrence, attribution, and the ethics of warfare itself. As genomic datasets expand and machine learning enhances predictive bio-design, the boundaries between defense, health security, and population control blur. What happens when code meets code—digital and biological—and selective vulnerability becomes a function of data?

The next war will not wait. As NATO grapples with a grinding Russia-Ukraine conflict, the pace of innovation has become both weapon and weakness. Operation TITAN FORGE—a high-intensity wargame—plunges participants into a near-future battlespace where algorithmic speed, human frailty, and cost asymmetry define survival. Across simulated frontlines, AI-enabled systems execute faster than human command can comprehend, autonomous drones exploit microsecond windows, and “human-on-the-loop” oversight begins to fracture under pressure.

Daryl Press (Professor of Government, Dartmouth College) will present "Unintended Consequences: Why the Laws of Armed Conflict Should Not Apply to Nuclear Deterrence.” Press argues that the law of armed conflict (LOAC) is intended to reduce suffering during wars by minimising the harm that conflicts inflict upon noncombatants. The application of LOAC principles to the war plans that underpin nuclear deterrence seems logical and necessary. After all, few military activities put civilians at greater risk than nuclear war.

Dr Micheni uses Boko Haram as a case study to delve into the operations of extremist groups in sub-Saharan Africa, with a particular focus on the unique cultural contexts in which they function. The talk explores how such groups navigate ethnically diverse environments and manage to forge a sense of collective homogeneity, even in the face of internal diversity.

This presentation delves into the shifting geopolitics of Britain’s Overseas Territories, spotlighting Gibraltar and the Chagos Islands. Recent negotiations with Spain and Mauritius signal a new phase in long-standing sovereignty disputes, raising questions about identity, autonomy, and international law. Beyond diplomacy, the territories play a role in the UK’s global strategy—economically, militarily, and politically. Yet tensions persist: constitutional strains and calls for greater self-determination challenge the status quo.

This presentation delves into the shifting geopolitics of Britain’s Overseas Territories, spotlighting Gibraltar and the Chagos Islands. Recent negotiations with Spain and Mauritius signal a new phase in long-standing sovereignty disputes, raising questions about identity, autonomy, and international law. Beyond diplomacy, the territories play a role in the UK’s global strategy—economically, militarily, and politically. Yet tensions persist: constitutional strains and calls for greater self-determination challenge the status quo.