Imaginings of the Future of Conflict and Communication Technologies: A Map of Four Anxiety and Two Hope Driven Scenarios

The article presents an analysis of the construction of future scenarios in relation to conflict and communication technologies (CTs), on the basic of Delphi+ workshops and essay-writing sessions. Grounded in a theoretical reflection on the various forms of conflict—distinguishing between armed, grey zone and democratic conflict—in combination with theoretical reflections on the role of CTs in conflict, and the future imaginings of (communication) technologies, the analysis discusses six future imaginaries. Four of these future scenarios are negative as in a power take-over, the intensification of both an armed conflict, and of democratic conflict, and the harm inflicted on the environment and society in general. The two positive scenarios are the protective role of supranational organizations and cultural change. Together, these six scenarios form a map of how European experts are concerned about media/technology and military/technology assemblages, and how they place their hope in supranational political institutions and cultural change.