In their Critical Studies on Security journal article, “Tracing algorithmic harm: from innovation to deployment and impact on civilians”, RAW researchers Linde Arentze, Lauren Gould, and Marijn Hoijtink explore how artificial intelligence (AI) is reshaping contemporary warfare and its implications for civilian harm, in environments such as Ukraine and Gaza.
Moving beyond a narrow focus on technological innovation, the authors foreground the lived experiences of those affected by algorithmic warfare. They introduce the concepts of “beforemaths” and “aftermaths” to capture how harm unfolds across the entire lifecycle of the algorithmic kill chain—both before deployment and long after their use. This includes not only physical destruction, but also more diffuse forms of harm such as pervasive surveillance, psychological stress, and the increasing risk that everyday civilian survival behaviour in war is interpreted as suspicious or threatening.
By tracing these dynamics, the article highlights how algorithmic warfare can generate new and compounded forms of harm, embedded within broader military, political, and technological infrastructures. It therefore calls for greater scrutiny of responsibility and accountability across the full “algorithmic kill chain”,
This publication represents an important contribution to ongoing academic and policy debates on military AI and civilian protection.
Read the full open access article here.
