Foreword
The prospect of using technology to radically enhance human performance has been
the subject of intense debate over the last two decades. Some analysis has been
pessimistic and cautionary, downplaying just how imminent such technologies are. Other
commentators are more optimistic and foresee an impending technological revolution that
will radically transform every aspect of our lives. What is certain is that the field of human
augmentation has the potential to transform society, security and defence over the next
30 years. We must begin to understand the implications of these changes and shape
them to our advantage now, before they are thrust upon us.
Technology in warfare has traditionally centred on increasingly sophisticated platforms that
people move and fight from, or artefacts that they wear or wield to fight with. Advances
in the life sciences and converging developments in related fields are, however, beginning
to blur the line between technology and the human. Significant thought has already
been given to what this means for artificial intelligence, automation and robotics, but
comparatively little time has been given to what this means from a human perspective.
This project seeks to address this imbalance so that we can understand the potential of
human augmentation and its implications.
The project is a bilateral cooperation between Bundeswehr Office for Defence Planning
in Germany and the Development, Concepts and Doctrine Centre in the UK. The output
from the strategic implications project will be relevant to a wide audience across the
defence and security sector. Whilst this is not a scientific publication, it draws extensively
on research to provide an overview of where the key opportunities and threats are.
Many technologies that have the potential to deliver strategic advantage out to 2050
already exist and further advances will undoubtedly occur. Our understanding of the
technical, ethical, legal and societal implications of these technologies will be decisive in
how transformative they prove to be for Defence. Our potential adversaries will not be
governed by the same ethical and legal considerations that we are, and they are already
developing human augmentation capabilities. Our key challenge will be establishing
advantage in this field without compromising the values and freedoms that underpin our
way of life.
Major General Wolfgang Gaebelein Major General Darrell Amison CBE
Director Director
Bundeswehr Office for Development, Concepts and
Defence Planning Doctrine Centre