AI for peace

Extract

There is a wealth of information about how technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI) and big data analytics are changing the conduct of contemporary warfare. This trend is mirrored in the growing number of publications within International Relations exploring their use in ongoing conflicts, such as the Russia–Ukraine war. However, less scholarly attention has been paid to the parallel deployment of similar technologies to prevent conflict and build peace, commonly referred to as ‘PeaceTech’. To remedy this shortcoming, the authors of the two books under review draw on their longstanding experience incubating and promoting digital technologies in peacebuilding to put forward contextually rich examples of PeaceTech projects and their associated challenges.

Branka Panic and Paige Arthur provide an easily accessible and practically grounded introduction to the use of emerging AI technologies in peacebuilding and conflict prevention. In AI for peace, they argue that if ethically used, machine learning, as well as natural language and image processing, can support the collection and processing of vast amounts of data, help uncover hidden patterns and enhance the productivity of peacebuilders. To support their claim, they review the latest advances in AI technologies in four areas of peacebuilding. First, concerning conflict early warning, Panic and Arthur showcase how advanced machine learning methods hold great promise for improving conflict prediction and helping civilians in conflict zones to move out of harm's way. However, the authors contend that it remains an open question whether ‘predicting violent conflict is like predicting the formation of clouds (so far impossible) or [like] predicting the functioning of clocks (highly possible)’ (p. 19).