The Coming Wave: AI, Power, and Our Future

by Mustafa Suleyman

Dual-use technologies are those with both civilian and military applications. In World War I, the process of synthesizing ammonia was seen as a way of feeding the world. But it also allowed for the creation of explosives, and helped pave the way for chemical weapons. Complex electronics systems for passenger aircraft can be repurposed for precision missiles. Conversely, the Global Positioning System was originally a military system, but now has countless everyday consumer uses. At launch, the PlayStation 2 was regarded by the U.S. Department of Defense as so powerful that it could potentially help hostile militaries usually denied access to such hardware. Dual-use technologies are both helpful and potentially destructive, tools and weapons. What the concept captures is how technologies tend toward the general, and a certain class of technologies come with a heightened risk because of this. They can be put toward many ends—good, bad, everywhere in between—often with difficult-to-predict consequences.

Double-Edged by Design: How Tech Becomes Tool and Weapon