Technology Impact Assessment for Peace and Stability: Diplomatic Opportunities for Australia and India

On 5 November 2024, Australia’s Foreign Minister Senator Penny Wong announced in a joint press statement with the Indian Minister for External Affairs S Jaishankar that the Australian National University (ANU) had been awarded a grant to lead a project under the Australia India Cyber and Critical Technologies Partnership (AICCTP). Co-leader of the grant is InKlude Labs in Bengaluru. Researchers involved in the work also come from the Takshashila Institution, Social Cyber Institute, Arizona State University, Southern Cross University, Blended Learning International and RMIT University. This 2025 project promotes rigorous ethical approaches to technology assessments of critical emerging technologies that impact peace and stability. It seeks to strengthen consensus among key stakeholders in Australia and India on the importance of a joint technology assessment process. Such activity would represent an important diplomatic innovation in bilateral relations for addressing the challenges posed by rapid technological advances and the evolving geopolitical landscape. The project aims to create a self-organising community of practice (CoP) inclusive of both countries, promoting its sustainability after the project's conclusion and potentially extending its influence on a wider multilateral scale. To support these goals, the project will create an open-access curriculum for the professional education of government officials and stakeholders responsible for assessing critical and emerging technologies. Delivered over a year, the project is led by a multidisciplinary team of senior researchers and professional educators from Australia and India with expertise in technology, industry, economics, geopolitics, and public policy. This initiative is funded by the Australian Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) as part of the Australia India Cyber and Critical Technologies Partnership (AICCTP).