Artificial intelligence (AI) is presented as a portal to more liberative realities, but its broad implications for society and certain groups in particular require more critical examination. This chapter takes a specifically Black theological perspective to consider the scepticism within Black communities around narrow applications of AI as well as the more speculative ideas about these technologies, for example general AI. Black theology’s perpetual push towards Black liberation, combined with womanism’s invitation to participate in processes that reconstitute Black quality of life, have perfectly situated Black theological thought for discourse around artificial intelligence. Moreover, there are four particular categories where Black theologians and religious scholars have already broken ground and might be helpful to religious discourse concerning Blackness and AI. Those areas are: white supremacy, surveillance and policing, consciousness and God. This chapter encounters several scholars and perspectives within the field of Black theology and points to potential avenues for future theological areas of concern and exploration.

This chapter concludes the book and considers its major theoretical and practical implications. It begins by exploring how the book pushes us to think about fake news and factual misperceptions as an important “layer” of war – a layer that has been largely neglected despite the burgeoning attention to these issues in other domains. This final chapter then examines what the book’s findings tell us about such topics as the psychology and behavior of civilian populations, the duration of armed conflicts, the feasibility of prevailing counterinsurgency models, and the depths and limits of misperceptions more broadly in social and political life. It also engages with the practical implications of the book for policymakers, journalists, activists, and ordinary politically engaged citizens in greater depth, exploring how the problems outlined in the research might also be their own solutions. Ultimately, this chapter shows how the book has something to offer to anyone who is interested in the dynamics of truth and falsehood in violent conflicts (and beyond) – and perhaps the beginnings of a framework for those who would like to cultivate more truth.

This chapter discusses the use of virtual approaches to data collection in qualitative research in the age of Covid-19. Covid-19, also known as SARS-CoV-2, came to public attention on December 1, 2019, and was declared a pandemic by the World Health Organization on March 11, 2020. Due to safety considerations, Covid-19 necessitated the move from in-person approaches to virtual approaches for qualitative researchers, most of whom likely lack specific training and knowledge on Internet-mediated approaches with data collection. To provide background information and perspective on virtual interviewing, the chapter offers a primer by overviewing virtual interviewing, examining researcher and participant perspectives, and offering best-practice considerations when managing the technical aspects, participant engagement, and ethical considerations of virtual interviewing.

Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, it has become essential for qualitative researchers to adopt online interviews for data collection. However, ensuring the validity of the interview protocol is no easy task, especially when the research involves people with intellectual disabilities. With these unique challenges, we attempted to validate the interview protocol to ensure the trustworthiness of the data. An online semi-structured interview protocol was developed and refined by integrating the Interview Protocol Refinement (IPR) Framework into a seven-step refinement process. A pilot test was conducted via video conference with five participants across five different groups. From the current pilot test, insights gained include (1) rephrasing the interview questions to assume casual conversation; (2) having a contingency plan in case of technical failure; (3) refining probes and follow-up questions; and (4) enhancing the reliability of proxy in interviewing person with Down syndrome. It is essential to develop a valid and reliable interview protocol to ensure a trustworthy qualitative finding. The process should be reflective and reiterative and should always be done in such a manner.

This chapter explains why countries obtain nuclear latency. It introduces the drivers and constraints of latency. It conducts a statistical analysis to determine which variables are correlated with nuclear latency onset, and then analyzes twenty-two cases to identify the main motives for getting latency.

In response to some critics of contemporary Irish culture who have lamented the loss of Irish cultural distinctiveness, particularly in language use, this chapter draws on research in the sociolinguistics of globalization to argue for an alternative method of reading language in fiction. Rather than focusing exclusively on fixed language identities, it suggests a method of reading for the modes and values of expression that are produced by linguistic mobility, neoliberalism, and technology. The chapter considers this changing status of language as it appears in Sally Rooney’s Conversations with Friends and Naoise Dolan’s Exciting Times, including the ways in which economic globalization has prioritized language as a skill and a commodity while reinventing its function through technology. The chapter argues that Rooney’s and Dolan’s novels dramatize the shift from a fixed language identity to a global one based on the idea of linguistic resources in a way that leaves their characters in ambivalent relationships to Irishness, the English language, and globalization.

In the economy as in ecosystems, one tipping point can lead on to another. Creating cascades of change throughout the global economy is perhaps the only imaginable way we could make the transition to zero emissions at the pace required. This should be the focus of climate change diplomacy throughout this decade. If enough of the world joins in, we might just have a chance.

Science can only tell us a part of what we need to know about the risks of climate change. We also need to make judgements about politics, technology, and international security. To tell truth to power, we need to bring these fields of knowledge together.

Historically, criminal offenses were proved through witness testimony, physical evidence, confessions, and rudimentary forensic techniques such as fingerprinting. But with the dawn of the digital era, prosecutors have increasingly relied on evidence gleaned from the modern arsenal of consumer technologies, such as cell phones or automated systems. Although much has been written about prosecutors’ use of such evidence to prove a defendant’s guilt, far less attention has been given to the challenges faced by the defense in accessing, presenting, or attacking forms of proof derived from sophisticated consumer technologies. This chapter aims to fill that gap, first by presenting a taxonomy of digital proof and then by isolating the critical characteristics of such evidence. The chapter suggests that this taxonomy can support efforts to formalize and standardize a defendant’s ability to marshal defense evidence for exculpatory and adversarial purposes as readily as the government does to inculpate.

This chapter outlines the significance of the digital revolution for International Relations. The first section establishes the political context that shaped the development of the internet, showing how this informed both its technical building blocks and modes of governance. The second section explains how these new technologies also entailed a distinct set of vulnerabilities. In doing so, it highlights the emergence of cybersecurity as an issue of national security, including the potential for cyber warfare between states. The third section introduces the politics of social media platforms that have enhanced pro-democracy movements such as the Arab Spring, but also driven polarisation, fostered extremism and been harnessed by a range of actors, from terrorist groups and intelligence services through to diplomats and even heads of state. The final section tracks the rise of internet sovereignty, which began in the early 2000s and has since become a significant international political tension point. We highlight how some states have sought to control information within their geographical borders, and use online censorship, propaganda and surveillance to govern their populations.

This chapter gives an overview of the long history, nature and significance of terrorism for international relations. It first addresses the topic’s recent prominence. Terrorism is by no means the most brutal type of violence, especially compared to wars in which states have killed millions of people. But it garners outsized attention through its symbolic nature. Only by educating ourselves can we rob terrorism of the source of its power. Second, it addresses key academic debates, which usually go back to the definition. The chapter argues that there are core areas of international agreement about what a terrorist act is, and that it can and should be distinguished from other types of violence. It also explains the lively debate over digital technology and the future of terrorism. Third, it lays out intellectual frameworks that help us to understand and analyse terrorism, including types of terrorism, historical patterns and the strategies used by terrorist groups. The chapter concludes with reflections about what is at stake in countering this type of illegitimate act.

Technology continues to evolve, thereby shaping how individuals can connect. Through technological advances, individuals identifying across the LGBTQ+ spectrum have gained increased access to medical and mental health services and improved ways of developing community. In this chapter, we discuss how various forms of technology serve as resources for individuals across the LGBTQ+ spectrum. We illustrate how technology bolsters mental health, connectedness, and representation within this population. Furthermore, we explore the ways in which technology, including social media and dating applications, can pose various threats to LGBTQ+ individuals, including through the perpetuation of sexual racism. We conclude with a case example and questions for further reflection.