Discussion here on December 26, 2024 contained some conclusions from an earlier debate, based upon one's earlier writings on the nature and future of warfare. Some way forward was suggested for Pakistan considering the dictates of modern and future warfare. Debate continues.

Military theorists typify warfare - First Generation Warfare (1GW) was characterised by 'state retaining monopoly' over conduct of warfare. 2GW involved 'linear fire and movement, supported by indirect artillery' fire. 3GW introduced 'maneuver' as opposed to 'movement'. 4GW denoted 'asymmetric warfare' and low-intensity conflict (insurgency, guerrilla war, etc). Under 4GW, boundaries are blurred between war and politics, combatants and non-combatants, and 'terrorism' is a tactic. The current 5GW or 'Hybrid' warfare is fought using non-kinetic means, like social engineering, dis/misinformation, cyberattacks, etc, using AI and autonomous systems.

The glamour of high-tech weaponry generally obscures technology's social, political and cultural downsides. We are in the throes of 4th Industrial Revolution (IR) transcending into 5th IR, which places greater than ever reliance on human intelligence, that is inventing AI. And AI-enabled systems are an inescapable reality under Hybrid Warfare. The biggest worry in the development of weaponised but unregulated AI is when machine-learning robots, especially the 'emotion bots', start writing their own codes, running outside human control. These AI-enabled autonomous machines may exploit inherent human weaknesses at a scale, speed and effectiveness previously unseen.

In the raging debate, whether warfare is concept-driven or technology-driven or both, there is broad consensus that........

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