Perspectives

Civilian mobile networks are now emerging as potential flashpoints in modern warfare. According to retired U.S. Army Colonel and Stanford researcher Bradley Boyd, co-founder of OpenDefense, any network transmitting military data can be treated as a legitimate target once conflict begins. This shift poses urgent ethical dilemmas for mobile operators and tech firms whose dual-use innovations—AI chips, sensors, and 5G infrastructure—can serve both commercial and military purposes. At the same time, a booming defense funding landscape offers industry opportunities, from AI-enabled systems to cybersecurity solutions, but only if companies navigate moral and operational risks.

On the latest episode of MEF podcast "Perspectives", host Riccardo Amati spoke with Boyd about the intersection of mobile networks, AI in warfare, and global security. The discussion covers how Western militaries are integrating AI into command, control, and edge-computed systems, the limitations and unpredictability of autonomous weapons, and the ethical stakes of dual-use technologies.