Emerging experts of 2024: Fresh thinking about the military (and TikTok)

A naval research analyst. A journalist covering arts and culture. A PhD candidate in international studies. A former Navy helicopter pilot turned military professor. And a master’s student in management science and engineering. These were among the emerging experts the Bulletin published in 2024.

This year, contributors to our “Voices of Tomorrow” section had some thoughtful takes on military strategy and culture. They wrote about the military’s nuclear language, the risks of sharing nuclear weapons with allies, the flaws in the military strategy known as “escalate to de-escalate,” and what soldiers really think of killer robots. Plus a fresh perspective on whether TikTok is a national security risk.

Here’s a selection of smart opinions and analysis from some of our newest contributors:

Dispatch from a nuclear petting zoo

By Collin Van Son

During a visit to Offutt Air Force Base, home of the United States Strategic Command, this author was struck by repeated references to a “petting zoo” of nuclear-capable military aircraft that he was encouraged to touch. That wasn’t the only language oddity he noticed while touring the base and attending an international conference on deterrence.

Who needs a government ban? TikTok users are already defending themselves

By Hali Mecklin

TikTok will be banned in the United States as of January 19, unless its Chinese owner sells the popular platform to an American company—or the Supreme Court rules that the ban passed by Congress violates the First Amendment. Most users aren’t worried about the alleged national security threat, but some are quitting TikTok for a different reason.

By sending nuclear weapons to the United Kingdom, could the United States be fueling nuclear proliferation?

By Janani Mohan

An air base in the United Kingdom is being upgraded with the expectation that the United States may station nuclear weapons there for the first time in 17 years, as a response to the growing instability caused by Russia’s war on Ukraine. Stationing can address near-term security concerns, but expansion of this practice runs the risk of increased proliferation.

Escalating to de-escalate with nuclear weapons: Research shows it’s a particularly bad idea

By Daniel R. Post

Many strategists believe that escalating a conflict—by threatening the “limited” use of nuclear weapons, for example—may be an effective way to compel an adversary to back off. The author’s research, however, strongly suggests that escalating a nuclear conflict is much more likely to provoke an adversary into continued resistance and possibly counter-escalation.

Listen up, UN: Soldiers aren’t fans of killer robots

By Catherine Sarkis

The US Defense Department hopes that AI-powered lethal autonomous weapons can save soldiers’ lives by removing them from the battlefield. However, a survey experiment conducted by the author found that the US public opposes these weapons even when they spare soldiers. And, surprisingly, soldiers themselves are even more opposed to the use of killer robots than the general public.