The threats the UK faces today are more nuanced and diverse than in the Cold War era, ranging from state-sponsored cyber-attacks to sophisticated disinformation campaigns. ELN Policy Fellow Nikita Gryazin argues that these challenges require a shift in focus from traditional nuclear deterrence to modern defensive and offensive cyber capabilities.
Listen to the final episode of the NEVER podcast – Ok, Doomer! This episode takes a step back to assess what we’ve learned about existential and global catastrophic risks in previous episodes, and what comes next. Featuring a discussion of how ordinary people can get involved in existential risk mitigation, what ongoing efforts will prove most successful in creating a framework to deal on these topics, and how the example of the Nuclear Non-Proliferation Treaty demonstrates that global cooperation to deal with the biggest threats we all face is possible, even in a tense geopolitical climate.
The United Kingdom’s latest nuclear doctrine suggests that severe cyber-attacks on their national or critical infrastructure could provoke a nuclear response. Despite this, cyber-attacks against the UK have surged over the past decade. Eva-Nour Repussard, YGLN member and Policy Fellow at BASIC, writes that instead of deterrence by punishment, the UK should seek to increase its resilience to cyber-attacks and focus on a strategy of deterrence by denial regarding cyber threats.
From 22 July – 2 August, diplomats and governments were in Geneva to assess and make recommendations for the full implementation of the Non-Proliferation Treaty, at the second Preparatory Committee of the 2026 Review Conference. The European Leadership Network was well represented. Several...
Listen to the fifth episode of the NEVER podcast – Ok, Doomer! In this episode, we explore artificial intelligence and its relationship with existential risk. Featuring an introduction to the topic, why we should be especially wary when integrating AI with nuclear weapons systems, the role of AI in arms control, how best to regulate AI on the global level and what international institutions are best placed to do so, as well as historical perspectives on technological change and its impact on our cultural understandings of existential risk.
Today, the European Union’s Artificial Intelligence Act comes into force. NEVER member and Digital Policy Consultant Julie Lübken argues that the EU’s AI Act, pre-dating similar efforts to regulate AI in the UK and the US, could lay the groundwork for global AI governance. She writes that the legislation should also mark the start of a discussion with other countries, such as China, for a worldwide effort, engaging with policymakers, businesses, and civil society, to better understand AI, harness its potential and mitigate risk.