by Denise Garcia
"Despite threats to human existence from climate change, biodiversity loss and a pandemic that’s devastating economies and paralysing societies, countries still spend recklessly on destructive weapons for wars they will never fight.
As an academic who advises the United Nations on arms control and the military uses of artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics, I have long argued that nations should prioritize ‘human security for the common good’ over military spending1,2. That means ensuring people can live to their full potential — economically fulfilled, politically enfranchised, in healthy environments and free from the fear of violence and pressing mortal threats such as climate change or pandemics.
Such calls are not new. Spending security budgets on pandemic preparedness was mooted after the outbreaks of severe acute respiratory syndrome (SARS) and Zika virus, for example3. Now, the sheer scale of the COVID-19 pandemic against a backdrop of rising violence — both of which have long been predicted — makes the case for action more urgent."
To read the full article, click here.