The modern battlefield is forever changed by the proliferation of technology, enabling even small nations to deploy technologies such as remote-controlled drones, yet the question remains how significant the impact will be on the future of warfare.
Political scientist Erik Lin-Greenberg, an assistant professor of political science at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), explored how technology is changing the battlefield in a post published on the MIT website in November.
He argued improved technologies that some fear could dehumanize warfare — such as drones — could help avoid conflict.
“I’ve learned that in some circumstances, remote war-fighting technologies such as drones can lead to a ratcheting down of tensions and that it might even serve strategically as a way to de-escalate global crises,” he said in the MIT article.
Ultimately, Lin-Greenberg’s work focuses on better-understanding what possible outcomes new technologies can help produce and how to direct their use toward desired results, the MIT article reported.
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