AI as a Multi-domain Enabler for the Army
Artificial Intelligence (AI) – a gamut of general purpose technologies that rely on data to enable a wide spectrum of adaptive and intelligent behaviors in machines – is back in news again. The Bletchley Park Declaration, a statement signed by 29 countries including India at the end of the two-day AI Safety Summit organised by […]
Hamas et al
A year ago, I wrote about Operation Breaking Dawn and noted that the absence of Hamas on the battle ground was a realpolitik move. Watching from the sidelines, Hamas gave the impression that Israeli appeasement policy was working when in fact it was a perfect ruse to eliminate any threat or challenge to their leadership […]
Hamas
A year ago, I wrote about Operation Breaking Dawn and noted that the absence of Hamas on the battle ground was a realpolitik move. Watching from the sidelines, Hamas gave the impression that Israeli appeasement policy was working when in fact it was a perfect ruse to eliminate any threat or challenge to their leadership […]
Cross-Strait Relations: Continuity and Change
In the report to the 20th National Congress of the Chinese Communist Party (CCP) in October 2022, CCP General Secretary Xi Jinping said, “China will continue to strive for peaceful reunification with the greatest sincerity and utmost effort, but we will never promise to renounce the use of force. We reserve the option of taking […]
Developing AI & the Human Consciousness
”The danger is that if we invest too much in developing Al and too little in developing human consciousness, the very sophisticated artificial intelligence of computers might only serve to empower the natural stupidity of humans.” – Yuval Noah Harari As I read this comment by Harari, it made me reflect on the various Fellowships […]
“Such things have always happened. It’s part of destiny’s plan.” – Recep Tayyip Erdogan
Following the disastrous earthquakes that struck Turkey and Syria on 6 and 7 February 2023, the administration of President Recep Tayyip Erdogan scrambled to save face as slow relief efforts and reports and videos on construction scams fuelled public outrage. With elections for the presidency and parliament just months away, the emergency powers invoked by […]
The Arab Spring and Extremism among Sunni Minorities in Iran
ABSTRACT Scholarly works underline that sections of the Sunni minorities, mainly the urban middle class and the educated elites supported the creation of the Islamic Republic. Despite the Sunni ulema publicly censuring Sunni extremist groups and developing a new ‘Islamic Diplomacy’, the state’s insecurity and paranoia towards its Sunni Muslim minority increased. The state suppressed […]
Imperatives for Afghanistan’s Future
The sad reality of Afghanistan is that although the war has ended, violence continues. The security situation is grave, and amid the political chaos and the absence of structured institutions, the Taliban are unable to effectively tackle the resistance groups in the country. Several non-state actors are thriving in the political vacuum: the Islamic State […]
The Israel-Lebanon Maritime Agreement: A strategic conflict-solving model in the region
The rare diplomatic breakthrough between Israel and Lebanon on the Maritime Border Agreement is a strategic and economic bargain between the two countries. Mediated by the United States of America at a UN base near the border, the agreement does not signal a move to normalize relations. It will, however, significantly reduce short term conflicts […]
The Climate of Fear and Uncertainty Continues to Haunt Afghanistan
Despite the Taliban’s several assurances towards moderation during the innumerable reconciliation processes in the last two years, it all came to be a watershed after the insurgent group captured Kabul on 15 August 2021. The previous year of Taliban rule has been defaced by an upsetting rollback of women’s fundamental rights and privileges. It almost […]