Professor Anthony Downey has published an extended essay in War and Aesthetics: Art, Technology, and the Futures of Warfare (MIT Press, 2024). Examining the so-called “black box”of military technology, surveillance, and AI, the collection reveals the aesthetic dimension of warfare and offers a novel perspective on its contemporary character and potential futures. Contributors include Louise Amoore, James Der Derian, Mark B. Hansen, Caren Kaplan, Phil Klay, Kate McLoughlin, Elaine Scarry, Ryan Bishop and others. Anthony’s essay, “The Future of Death: Algorithmic Design, Predictive Analysis, and Drone Warfare” (pp. 209-242) proposes that the rationale of pre-emptive warfare is increasingly programmed into the predictive functioning of AI, giving rise to the automation of human agency in contemporary conflicts.

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