The Weaponization of Emerging Technologies and Their Impact on Global Risk: A Perspective from the PfPC Emerging Security Challenges Working Group

The authors examine how emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, synthetic biology, quantum computing, and neurotechnology, are reshaping global security risks. The study argues that traditional threat-based security models are inadequate for addressing the complex, transnational, and increasingly weaponized nature of these technologies. The authors propose a shift toward risk-based frameworks that emphasize resilience, systemic risk analysis, and multi-stakeholder cooperation. They highlight the growing role of non-state actors, cognitive warfare, and technological interdependencies in amplifying global catastrophic and existential risks, and they call for adaptive governance strategies to manage these evolving challenges.