Developing and Regulating Dual-Use AI Technology: China, the US and the EU

Artificial Intelligence (AI) seems to be impacting all industry sectors, while becoming a motor for innovation. The diffusion of AI from the civilian sector to the defense sector, and AI’s dual-use potential has drawn attention from security and ethics scholars. With the publication of the ethical guideline Trustworthy AI by the European Union (EU), normative questions on the application of AI have been further evaluated. In order to draw conclusions on Trustworthy AI as a point of reference for responsible research and development (R&D), we approach the diffusion of AI across both civilian and military spheres in the EU. We capture the extent of technological diffusion and derive European and German patent citation networks. Both networks indicate a low degree of diffusion of AI between civilian and defense sectors.

The accumulating tensions between major space powers increase the likelihood of space conflict. Though outer space is widely militarized, presumably it has not been weaponized. However, the dual-use nature of space technology raises serious concerns about its utilization. The article reviews and compares chosen space systems and technology with the residual offensive capability that could be misused for malicious purposes and could be utilized as space weapons. Demonstrated space-related technology, namely space launch vehicles, small satellites, satellites as weapon platforms, information technology and active debris removal systems, have broad dual-use consequences that can eventually lead to the weaponization of outer space.

The digitalisation of critical infrastructure has increased the risk of large-scale cyber incidents. In contrast to the management of conventional emergencies by established civil protection organisations involving volunteers in Germany, few response capacities exist for these events. The concept of a volunteer force for cyber security could close this protection gap. However, such involvement also poses practical and ethical challenges. By conducting interviews with computer science students (N = 11), this paper analyses potential volunteers’ attitudes towards ethical implications of a cyber volunteer force, as well as practical aspects that might motivate or hinder their participation. A qualitative content analysis reveals that students are largely unaware of potential dilemmas connected to vulnerabilities handling and national cybersecurity interests. Ethical guidelines and means of motivating and encouraging potential volunteers are discussed.

This research closes existing gaps by studying the open source dual-use security software challenges that organizations should consider when using this technology. We utilize a triangulation approach with three independent data sources to conduct a detailed analysis of this phenomenon.

Regulation 2021/821 of 20 May 2021, which sets up a European Union (EU) regime for the control of exports, brokering, technical assistance, transit, and transfer of dual-use items, enters into force on 9 September 2021. While the main features of the EU’s dual-use regime remain the same, Regulation 2021/821 introduces some novelties. Export control is extended to technical assistance.

the policy paper explores the rationale for investing in the so-called dual-use research and technology (R&T) to support Estonia’s national defence, civil security and public safety policy objectives. In addition, it investigates which areas of knowledge and technology generally have
the greatest potential for an inter-agency approach and which of those areas are most relevant to Estonia’s defence, security and safety organisations. It also considers a variety of business models for pursuing the inter-agency approach to R&T and its application in Estonia.

This article intends to clarify the role of trade controls in relation to dual-use research, stimulate the debate on the possible contribution of trade controls to the broader governance of sensitive research, and inspire ways to achieve this in practice. First, the article discusses the different interpretations of the term dual-use research by highlighting its relevance in the context of for export controlled research activities. Second, the article explores why there is a nexus between trade controls and research. In this regard, the added value and known shortcomings
connected to trade control implementation is presented.

Previous research has shown that developers rely on public platforms and repositories to produce functional but insecure code. We looked into the matter for ransomware, enquiring whether also ransomware engineers re-use the work of others and produce insecure code.

The use of outer space plays a vital role in both defense and civil fields. Since the separation of space activities between civil and defense applications is extremely inefficient, the Dual-Use concept has been considered fundamental for promoting the effective use of space. To the best of the authors' knowledge, most previous studies on Dual-Use focused on the technological aspects, and very few on a system engineering approach to Dual-Use. This left some important issues untouched such as the operational aspects of a system of systems, which need to be understood in a more generic context.