Events
Both through brinkmanship and by accident, the world has time and again faced the prospect of nuclear catastrophe.
Today, the ever-increasing speed and reliability of emerging technologies like artificial intelligence (AI) reduce opportunities for humans to intervene, thereby potentially undermining nuclear stability.
What effects will emerging technologies have on the decisions of nuclear-armed states? Will emerging technologies increase the risk of accidental or inadvertent escalation? Will greater automation of nuclear weapons systems decrease the risk of catastrophic human error, or will it increase the likelihood that humans follow false alarms?
Join us for a wide-ranging conversation on these and other questions with Beatrice Fihn, the Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons, who in 2017 accepted the Nobel Peace Prize on behalf of the Campaign.
SPEAKER
Beatrice Fihn is the Executive Director of the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons (ICAN), the 2017 Nobel Peace Prize-winning campaign coalition that works to prohibit and eliminate nuclear weapons. She has led the campaign since 2013, and has worked to mobilize civil society throughout the development of the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons. Previously, she managed the disarmament program at the Women's International League for Peace and Freedom and the Reaching Critical Will project as well as worked with the Geneva Centre for Security Policy. Fihn holds a Master’s Degree in Law from the University of London and a Bachelor’s Degree in International Relations from Stockholm University.
INTRODUCTION
Wendell Pritchett is the University of Pennsylvania's 30th Provost, and Presidential Professor in the Law School and the Graduate School of Education. An award-winning scholar, author, lawyer, professor, and civic and academic leader, he first joined the Penn Law faculty in 2002, serving as Interim Dean from 2014-15 and as Associate Dean for Academic Affairs from 2006-07. He served from 2009-14 as Chancellor of Rutgers University-Camden, leading unprecedented growth that included graduating classes of record sizes, the first campus doctoral programs, and new health education and science facilities. He has held a range of senior board and leadership positions with the City of Philadelphia, including Deputy Chief of Staff and Director of Policy for Mayor Michael Nutter. He has served as President of the Coalition of Urban and Metropolitan Universities, a board member of the Campaign for Black Male Achievement, Co-Chair of Mayor Nutter’s Transition Committee, and Co-Chair of Barack Obama’s Urban Policy Task Force. His research examines the development of post-war urban policy, in particular urban renewal, housing finance, and housing discrimination.
MODERATOR
Michael C. Horowitz is Perry World House's interim director. He is a professor of political science at the University of Pennsylvania and a co-faculty lead for the Global Order: Power, Technology and Governance research theme. He is the author of the award-winning book, The Diffusion of Military Power: Causes and Consequences for International Politics. His research interests include military innovation, the future of war, forecasting, the role of leaders in international politics, and the relationship between religion and international politics. He has published in a wide array of peer reviewed journals, as well as more popular outlets such as the New York Times, Politico and Foreign Policy. Professor Horowitz spent 2013 working for the Office of the Undersecretary of Defense for Policy in the Department of Defense as an International Affairs Fellow, funded by the Council on Foreign Relations. He is affiliated with the Foreign Policy Research Institute, the Center for Strategic and International Studies, and the Center for a New American Security. He is also a Term Member of the Council on Foreign Relations and a member of the International Institute for Strategic Studies. He has held fellowships at the Weatherhead Center, Olin Institute, and Belfer Center at Harvard, where he received his PhD in Government. Professor Horowitz received his BA in political science from Emory University.
