Stockholm International Peace Research Institute Challenges 'Emerging Technologies' Label in Strategic Studies
The Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) argues that many technologies labeled as 'emerging' in strategic and security studies are better understood as instances of 'technology convergence.' This perspective suggests that what is often perceived as novel is, in fact, the integration of already mature systems—such as satellites, machine learning algorithms, and precision missiles—into new operational capabilities. SIPRI's analysis indicates that true novelty would require unprecedented underlying scientific breakthroughs, whereas convergence combines existing scientific advances into new applications. The institute's work, particularly on autonomy in weapon systems, highlights that describing technologies as 'emerging' can allow governments to postpone critical governance questions, including the applicability of existing arms control treaties to AI-enabled command-and-control systems, the need for redesigning export controls on dual-use quantum components, and the implications for inter... 
