Existential risks with dual-use technologies across nano, cyber, and CBRN domains

Abstract

In today’s exponentially expanding technology landscape, dual-use technology has emerged as a crucial frontier with profound implications for the future of innovation, national security, and economic growth. Inherently, all technologies tend to be susceptible to misuse, however, dual-use technology refers basically to innovations that have both civilian, as well as military applications. Epistemologically, dual-use research can be anticipated to provide knowledge, products, or technologies, yet could be misapplied to pose a serious threat to public health, agriculture, plants, animals, and the environment—according to the National Science Advisory Board for Biosecurity. At the height of the Cold War, dual-use research concerns emerged due to uncertainties associated with the proliferation risks of nuclear materials. More recently, concerns pivoted towards biological sciences due to the possibility of developing destructive weapons against humans, animals, and plants, especially with advances in nanomaterials. The focus has now shifted to emerging technologies viz. nanotechnology, cognitive sciences, information technology, artificial intelligence, data analytics, and machine learning, where ongoing research and development has significantly advanced human social and economic well-being, nevertheless, at the cost of generating potential for these technologies to be harnessed for nefarious purposes. In addition, a few other technologies, such as unmanned aerial vehicles and additive manufacturing, quantum computing, and neurotechnology have emerged and offer tremendous advantages for the common good, but also present pernicious and destructive uses. With human intention being an unquantifiable measure, the exponential emergence of technologies presents an existential and cascading dual-use paradigm, and it is quite complex to extricate technological benefits from their perceived, actual, or hybrid risks. Hence, the new technologies must be carefully examined, especially regarding their potential dual-use nature. The objective of this article is to canvass the groundwork for an overview of new and emergent technologies and posit ways to isolate benefits from risks associated with dual-use technologies proliferation, including the development of standards and an ethics framework.