Welcome to our roundup of news and current events related to ethics and international affairs! Here’s some of what we’ve been reading this past week:
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NYT - The Killer Robots Are Coming. The Battlefield Will Never Look the Same.
As Ukraine faces troop shortages and seeks new techniques to avoid human casualties, the Ukrainian military is increasingly relying on unmanned systems. From aerial drones to explosive remote robots on land, Ukraine is pioneering new forms of combat. According to the Ukrainian Ministry of Defense, the army carried out 9,000 missions last month using unmanned ground vehicles equipped with explosives, guns, and rockets. Kyiv is eager to demonstrate the potential of this homegrown defense industry, particularly in its efforts to build security partnerships with other nations. Following extensive deployment and testing on the battlefield, President Zelensky aims to export Ukrainian systems abroad. While Ukrainian expertise may be valuable in reducing human casualties on the front lines of warfare, the integration of AI and the greater proliferation of these systems raise critical questions about the ethics and norms of autonomous warfare.
Read more on autonomous weapons and norms of warfare in Ethics & International Affairs:
An Operational Perspective on the Ethics of the Use of Autonomous Weapons (2023: 37-3)
International Law and the Humanization of Warfare (2024: 37-4)
Crimes of Dispassion: Autonomous Weapons and the Moral Challenge of Systematic Killing (2023: 37-3)
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The Guardian - Viral victory: Iran is beating the land of tech bros in the social media wars
In recent weeks, Donald Trump has faced significant criticism over a range of social media posts, including one likening himself to Jesus Christ healing the sick. In contrast to Trump’s social media missteps, The Guardian reports that the Iranian regime is dominating a social media war, utilizing sarcasm, deploying Gen Z memes, and crafting AI-generated posts to engage Western audiences. While Iranian newspapers have been suppressed, pro-government accounts have posted a series of AI-generated Lego animations about Jeffrey Epstein and Trump, AI musical performances satirizing President Trump, and numerous popular Gen Z memes. Narges Bajoghli, a cultural anthropologist at Johns Hopkins, explains how “Wars are fought in two spaces. They’re fought on the battleground, and then just as important a battleground is the communications war. Iran has been able to completely monopolize the communications war, especially on social media globally.” By dominating the communications war, in contrast to the faltering messaging of the Trump administration, the Iranian regime is shaping global narratives and strengthening its soft power influence.
Read more on social media, just war, and artificial intelligence in Ethics & International Affairs:
Technology and the Civilianization of Warfare (2024: 38-1)
Information Fragmentation and Global Governance in Hard Times (2025: 39-2)
Should States Use Social Media to Warn Civilians in Armed Conflict? (2025)
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AP News - IPC report finds that soaring oil prices threaten to deepen hunger in Haiti
The Iran war has resulted in thousands of civilian casualties, disrupted global trade, and shocked oil markets. Its effects are not merely felt at the gas pump; they are also threatening to upend global food supplies. Consider the case of Haiti. While modest progress has been made in addressing hunger levels and gang violence over food supplies, the war threatens to reverse these gains. More than 5.83 million Haitians are expected to face acute levels of hunger in the coming months, and these estimates are likely to worsen further given disruptions linked to the conflict and instability around the Strait of Hormuz in the global food system. Haiti’s government has already increased the price of diesel by 37 percent and gasoline by 29 percent amid the ongoing war. Wanja Kaaria, the World Food Program’s country director, stated how “fighting hunger is essential to restoring stability in Haiti. We cannot build peace if families cannot feed their children.” The war’s externalities are not limited to U.S. gas prices; they are also destabilizing countries like Haiti that are already in desperate need of stability and aid.
Read more on food insecurity, humanitarian aid, and the externalities of war in Ethics & International Affairs:
Helping Refugees Where They Are (2021: 35-4)
Humanitarian Diplomacy: The ICRC's Neutral and Impartial Advocacy in Armed Conflicts (2019: 33-1)
Hope, Pessimism, and the Shape of a Just Climate Future (2023: 37-3)
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DW - Overshadowed by Iran, Gaza stuck between war and peace
As the Iran war continues to result in civilian casualties and global trade shocks, other pressing conflicts are fading from international attention. Amid heightened pressure on international intermediaries to secure ceasefires and peace deals between the United States and Iran, the conflict in Gaza has particularly receded from global focus. Efforts to broker a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel have faltered, with little progress in recent months. The Trump administration’s Board of Peace has had limited impact, with much of the promised billions in funding failing to materialize. Consequently, the waning attention risks prolonging the conflict and exacerbating humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
A Human Rights Approach to Conflict Resolution (2019: 33-3)
Limited Force and the Return of Reprisals in the Law of Armed Conflict (2020: 34-2)
But Is It Good Enough? Jus ad Vim and the Danger of Perpetual War (2022: 36-4)