In the article “From blitzkrieg to blitzscaling: Assessing the impact of venture capital dynamics on military norms,” dr. Elke Schwarz examines the transformative role of venture capital (VC) on the defense and military industry. Schwarz explores how military innovation and practices are being reshaped by VC firms that are driven by a high-risk, high-reward growth model. She raises concerns about the ethical and operational implications, highlighting how VC focus on rapid scaling and high returns can conflict with the long-term stability and normative considerations essential in the military domain. Schwarz is a Professor of Political Theory at Queen Mary University of London.
Abstract Article:
Venture capital (VC) has recently emerged as a powerful new actor in the military domain. In the USA, VC investment in defence startups doubled between 2019 and 2022. A similar trend is noticeable in Europe, where billions are funnelled into AI-drone startup companies, spurred by escalating conflicts around the globe. VC investment is a ‘high-risk-high-reward’ way of financing military technologies, which requires fast-paced exponential growth at scale (‘blitzscaling’) and the disruption of existing markets. But with disruption comes debris. What happens when military organisations, which must navigate ethical questions pertaining to life and death, become shaped in the image of Silicon Valley and VC funding? This paper argues that the VC sector exerts a significant influence not only on military procurement processes but also on the direction of military operations and practices. This, in turn, has potentially significant effects on the communities and stakeholders affected by military operations, including those caught in the crosshairs of VC-backed AI technologies.
Read the full article below, or click on the following reference:
Image by Ralph
