War Is No Longer Where You Think It Is

This text explores the structural transformation of contemporary warfare, where the locus of conflict progressively shifts from the site of physical impact to the space of decision-making. Drawing on recent developments observed in Ukraine and the Middle East, it analyzes the rise of unmanned systems—particularly drones—not merely as tactical tools, but as vectors of a deeper epistemic and operational change. The study highlights the increasing separation between decision, risk, and accountability, as well as the emergence of distributed, algorithmically mediated architectures of action, including drone swarms and AI-assisted command systems. In this evolving landscape, the battlefield is redefined as a network of autonomous interactions rather than a fixed geographic space, challenging traditional notions of visibility, control, and human presence. The argument points toward a broader cultural and strategic shift in which adaptability, integration, and interpretive capacity become central to maintaining relevance in an increasingly autonomous and opaque environment of conflict.

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Publication Details

Journal
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Published
2026-06-17
DOI
https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.20736486
Primary Topic
Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
Type
article
Field-Weighted Citation Impact
0.00
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article

War Is No Longer Where You Think It Is

Adrian Leonard Mociulschi
Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
article

War Is No Longer Where You Think It Is

Adrian Leonard Mociulschi
article en

Abstract

This text explores the structural transformation of contemporary warfare, where the locus of conflict progressively shifts from the site of physical impact to the space of decision-making. Drawing on recent developments observed in Ukraine and the Middle East, it analyzes the rise of unmanned systems—particularly drones—not merely as tactical tools, but as vectors of a deeper epistemic and operational change. The study highlights the increasing separation between decision, risk, and accountability, as well as the emergence of distributed, algorithmically mediated architectures of action, including drone swarms and AI-assisted command systems. In this evolving landscape, the battlefield is redefined as a network of autonomous interactions rather than a fixed geographic space, challenging traditional notions of visibility, control, and human presence. The argument points toward a broader cultural and strategic shift in which adaptability, integration, and interpretive capacity become central to maintaining relevance in an increasingly autonomous and opaque environment of conflict.

Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research)
National University of Music Bucharest (RO)
Peace, Justice and strong institutions
Openalex Percentile: Top 5%
Ethics and Social Impacts of AI
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War Is No Longer Where You Think It Is — Adrian Leonard Mociulschi · Zenodo (CERN European Organization for Nuclear Research) (2026) | TGRS Research Map | TGRS