Intensive Course: War and Peace in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Note: The add/drop date for this course is Monday, January 4 at 10:00 PM.

Course Location: Please see the "Intensive Course Schedule" under Schedules and Timetables (http://www.law.utoronto.ca/academic-programs/schedules).

Note: Attendance at intensive courses is mandatory for the duration of the course.

This proposed course offers a comprehensive examination of how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is fundamentally reshaping the future of global conflict and peace processes. Students will start by analyzing how the real-time battlefield deployment of technologies such as automated drones, AI-powered disinformation campaigns, and smart weapons, assessing how these tools alter geopolitical dynamics, enable remote third-party proxy involvement, and provide traditional state actors over specific categories of actors. Through case studies of ongoing hostilities in Ukraine, Gaza, Lebanon, and Iran, the curriculum will critically evaluate the legal and moral implications of autonomous systems, specifically examining questions of accountability for war crimes and the adequacy of current international law. Furthermore, the course will explore how traditional mediation frameworks—including large multilateral institutions like the United Nations (UN) and its United Nations Security Council (UNSC)—are struggling to adapt to technologically prolonged conflicts, leading to the rise of minilateral peace processes. Finally, students will investigate the constructive applications of technology in conflict resolution, detailing how AI is currently being utilized to power early warning systems, draft complex settlement terms, analyze public statements and dialogue, and verify post-agreement compliance in real-time.