From AI to blockchain: Essayists explore innovative views on arms control in Europe

The OSCE’s participating States have created the most advanced regime for conventional arms control, disarmament and confidence-and security-building measures (CSBMs) worldwide.

They are designed to encourage greater openness and transparency to increase military security and stability in the Euro-Atlantic and Eurasian areas, helping States to understand each other’s intentions in the military sphere and prevent miscalculation, an area that would otherwise be a heavily guarded national secret.

In recent years, there have been discussions on how these frameworks could be better implemented and modernized to reduce risks and reflect better the current politico-military environment. This year commemorates the 25^th anniversary of the adoption of the OSCE Framework for Arms Control, was a milestone documents in the area of CAC and CSBMsCSBMs
Confidence- and security-building measures.

In March 2021, the OSCE and the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg (IFSH), together with the Moscow State Institute for International Relations (MGIMO), the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP) and the Vienna Centre for Disarmament and Non-Proliferation (VCDNP), announced a competition for a second time, calling on students and young professionals to submit their ideas.

The entrants had to be nationals of OSCE participating States and Partners for Co-operation, no older than 35 years of age, and women were especially encouraged to apply.

There were 36 entries from participants in 19 OSCE participating States and 53% of the total participants were women.

Let’s meet the three finalists and learn more about their winning submissions.

Anna Nadibaidze (University of Southern Denmark) became interested in the work of the OSCE during her master’s studies at the London School of Economics. She wrote an essay on the history and impact of the OSCE, which required in depth research on the Organization and its unique role in the European security landscape, in particular its inclusive membership and multi-faceted perspective of security.  This process sparked her interest in arms control and CSBMs. She is particularly interested in how these issues can apply to modern technologies used in conventional weapons.

Her essay examined some of the existing impacts of weaponized artificial intelligence (AI) on European security and proposed a solution to mitigate the risks caused by the lack of regulation of autonomy and automation in weapons systems. She looked at how OSCE participating States use and talk about weaponized AI, and how diminishing human control over the use of force, and the differences in States’ discourses, pose a considerable risk for regional stability. Her essay points out, however, that the current course of weaponized AI is not inevitable. She discusses the ways States should address this issue via political means and argues that the OSCE can become the platform which can build trust and consensus, two necessary elements to make a step forward in the global debate on weaponized AI.

Nadibaidze would like to pursue a career in academia and continue to research the impacts and implications of modern technologies, such as AI for European and international security.

Nicolò Miotto (University of Glasgow) became passionate about conventional arms control through researching the potential role of emerging technologies in enhancing security and facilitating international co-operation. He became interested in the OSCE through his research and following the OSCE on its social media platforms.

Miotto’s essay argued that blockchain technology represents an unprecedented opportunity for enhancing conventional arms control and verification. Blockchain can build confidence between countries and facilitate the implementation of arms control mechanisms. He posits that the OSCE framework for conventional ammunition control could be reinforced by developing a blockchain-based regime, which would greatly improve the OSCE’s monitoring and verification procedures and capabilities.

Miotto plans to increase his knowledge of emerging technologies, arms control, and terrorism and violent extremism. He would like to pursue a career in international organizations engaged with conflict prevention and resolution.

Claudia Ditel (Karl-Franzens-Universität Graz) is a researcher studying conflict transformation. She is interested in military security-related issues, as she feels they are closely related to the success of confidence-building measures, where the OSCE plays a key role.

Her essay suggested that the security dilemma that persists in many conflicts in the OSCE area is in part due to the exclusion of a large part of the communities from the peace process. She suggests an alternative approach to conflict transformation could consist of ‘depoliticizing’ peacebuilding and creating reconciliation opportunities and platforms for co-operation on shared interests for locals.

Ditel would like to continue researching alternative approaches to peacebuilding assigning ownership to the local population. She looks forward to one day putting her knowledge to use in the field of conflict prevention.

The three finalists were invited to a session of the OSCE Forum for Security Co-operation on 8 December, where representatives of the participating States learned more about their thought-provoking ideas and innovative thinking.

The jury praised the quality of the submissions received, remarking that the future for European security looks hopeful as we turn towards a new generation of young professionals for fresh thinking and perspectives on how to make our world safer against military threats and conflict.

Read more about the competition here: https://www.osce.org/secretariat/507344.