In a world increasingly defined by geopolitical tensions and violence, the role of technology has never been more critical. From using drones and space technology, geospatial data to develop defense strategies to harnessing artificial intelligence in war zones, technology plays a substantial role in today’s global conflicts. 

The question then arises: How can technologies be used for fostering peace, resolving conflict, rebuilding post-conflict, or safeguarding basic human rights.

On September 20th, 2024—on the eve of the International Day of Peace—Kluz Ventures hosted its annual Kluz Prize for PeaceTech Award Ceremony. The event set out to explore this very question, bringing together a diverse group of global leaders, policymakers, peacebuilders, technology entrepreneurs, venture capitalists, and scholars interested in exploring the use of technology for peace. The event, held in New York City, celebrated the winners of the 2024 Kluz Prize for PeaceTech and examined how emerging technologies can be applied to address some of the most pressing issues of our time. 

In what follows we provide a summary of the discussions during the event.

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Opening Remarks: Why PeaceTech Matters

Artur Kluz, CEO of Kluz Ventures and Founder of Kluz Prize for PeaceTech began his opening remarks by highlighting the impact of today’s geopolitical tensions. Artur explained that while technology has often been associated with its capacity for negative impact, it also has the potential to help foster peace through initiatives in what is known as “PeaceTech.” Artur emphasized that the mission of the Prize is to celebrate and propel responsible use of technology innovations to foster peace and save lives. 

Artur emphasized three main areas to be explored further: 

• A new concept of “triple use” technologies–those that serve commercial, defense, and peacebuilding purposes;

• Building awareness about PeaceTech within the tech community including entrepreneurs, engineers, venture capitalists;

• Identifying and analyzing real PeaceTech applications from private and public tech companies.

Panel Discussion: How to Accelerate Emerging Technologies for Peace

The opening remarks were followed by a panel discussion exploring the rapidly evolving landscape of PeaceTech. Panelists included Dr. Bill Weeks, Director, AI For Health at Microsoft, Christine Keung, General Partner at J2 Ventures, and Peter Rabley, CEO of The Open Geospatial Consortium (OGC), and moderated by Dr. Stefaan G. Verhulst, Co-Founder and Chief R&D at The GovLab. Below we provide a summary of the main themes discussed.

(1) Defining PeaceTech in an Era of Emerging Technologies

Bill and Christine framed PeaceTech as encompassing a broad spectrum of technological applications aimed at fostering peace, reducing conflict, and safeguarding human dignity. These technologies range from AI-driven conflict prediction systems to blockchain-based transparency initiatives in governance. Importantly, the panel emphasized that the true impact of PeaceTech lies not just in the technologies themselves, but in their thoughtful and strategic application to address the world’s most complex global challenges.

Bill noted that while AI as a concept isn’t new, “the generative AI we're seeing today is truly revolutionary." This observation underscores the dynamic and ever-changing nature of PeaceTech, which, as highlighted by Bill and Peter, continues to adapt as emerging technologies advance. Importantly, they emphasized that the true impact of PeaceTech lies not just in the technologies themselves, but in their thoughtful and strategic application to solve the world’s most complex challenges.

(2) Harnessing “Triple-Use” Technologies

"Triple-use" technologies were broadly discussed by panelists. Towards this end, Christine highlighted Game Beast, a game development tool, which has been adapted for national security, to model non-kinetic warfare scenarios for the Department of Defense. 

Christine emphasized, “If that trillion dollars is not deployed in technologies that can strengthen our institutions, there is a cost.” Both Christine and Peter acknowledged the need to upgrade dual-use into triple-use and use innovations from the defense and commercial sectors to fuel peace-building and humanitarian efforts. However, Peter and other panelists stressed the ethical challenges that come with dual/triple-use technologies, particularly ensuring these tools are directed towards peace-building rather than exacerbating conflict.

(3) The Challenge of Measuring Impact

The question of how to measure the success of PeaceTech initiatives was another critical discussion. The panelists discussed several potential metrics, including:

1. Lives saved or improved;

2. Reduction in conflict-related incidents;

3. Decrease in costs associated with conflict; and

4. Fulfillment of the technology’s intended purpose.

Bill discussed the importance of exploring AI’s potential for measuring outcomes without clear measurable metrics, such as sentiment analysis of social media and news sources to gauge changing attitudes and reduced tensions over time. There is a need for new frameworks that can capture not only the immediate, quantifiable outcomes but also the long-term, often intangible, impacts of PeaceTech efforts.

(4) Building the Foundations: The Role of Data Infrastructure

Peter emphasized the crucial role that data infrastructure plays in advancing PeaceTech. He highlighted the importance of leveraging existing infrastructure, such as geospatial systems, which were initially funded by governments for defense purposes. He explained that GPS technology, which, although originally designed for military use, has since become a trillion-dollar industry with widespread applications across sectors. As he pointed out, “dual-purpose almost always comes about by mistake. There’s a lack of intentionality.”

Peter emphasized the need for more deliberate design and application of infrastructure to support peace-oriented initiatives, stating that “being more rational about the real connection and the need is essential.” He further noted that governments have the “power of the purse” to drive the creation of infrastructure that supports both commercial and peace-building purposes. Peter underscored that future PeaceTech efforts must prioritize creating foundational infrastructures with peace challenges in mind, thus maximizing their potential for scalability and sustainability. 

(5) Bridging the Innovation Gap

A key concern raised during the panel was the gap between cutting-edge technologies and their application within the peace-building sector. Christine expressed frustration that many of the most innovative technologies, particularly those needed by governments and humanitarian organizations, are not reaching them. To address this issue, Christine proposed several strategies, including:

1. Fostering collaboration between tech companies and peace-building organizations to align technological advancements with peace-oriented missions;

2. Developing funding models that incentivize the application of emerging technologies for peace, ensuring financial backing for peace-driven initiatives;

3. Nurturing a new generation of technologists who view peace as a core goal of their innovations, shaping future developments with this purpose in mind.

Looking to the future, Bill highlighted that trust will be essential in AI’s development, emphasizing the importance of fostering public trust in these technologies. Additionally, Peter underscored the need for strong ethical guidelines and governance frameworks to ensure the responsible deployment of AI and other emerging technologies in peace-building efforts. These guidelines will be critical in mitigating potential risks and ensuring that technological innovations serve their intended purpose of fostering global peace.

The Award Ceremony

The latter part of the event included an Award Ceremony celebrating the winners of and special distinctions of the 2024 Kluz Prize for PeaceTech. 

This year, the team received 90 applications from 32 countries across the globe and the shortlisted applications were reviewed by the distinguished Selection Committee: 

• Ana Carolina González Peña, Co-Founder and Director of the Magnolia Foundation

• Dr. Andrew Schroeder, Vice President of Research and Analysis at Direct Relief

• Artur Kluz, Founder & CEO of Kluz Ventures

• Bradley Tusk, Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Tusk Venture Partners, Founder of Tusk Strategies

• Dr. Fatima Roumate, Professor of International Law at Mohammed V University, UNESCO

• Kay Firth-Butterfield, Executive Director of the Centre for Trustworthy Technology

• François Chopard, CEO of Starburst Aerospace

• Dr. Ivan Martinovic, Professor of Computer Science (Cybersecurity) at University of Oxford

• Matthew Sanders, CEO of Humanity 2.0 and Longbeard

• Dr. Stefaan Verhulst, Co-Founder & Chief Research & Development Officer of The GovLab

• Zara Khan, Account Director at OpenAI

• Stuart E. Eizenstat, Senior Counsel at Covington & Burling

At the Award Ceremony, the Kluz Prize for PeaceTech team recognized four initiatives:

• Aerobotics7 was awarded the top prize, the 2024 Kluz Prize for PeaceTech, for its EAGLE A7 system, an AI-driven drone technology designed to detect and neutralize landmines in conflict zones. This innovation has already been deployed in Ukraine, helping to accelerate post-conflict recovery and ensure the safety of displaced populations.

• The Danish Refugee Council received a Special Distinction for Humanitarian Impact for DEEP, a collaborative tool that helps NGOs, governments, and humanitarian agencies compile, store, and analyze data to improve humanitarian responses in crises.

• Lunasonde was recognized with a Special Distinction for Space Technology for its development of underground radar technologies that can detect water and minerals beneath the Earth's surface.

• The VIEWS research consortium earned a Special Distinction for the Use of AI for Peace. VIEWS provides early warning systems that predict the likelihood and severity of violent conflicts for policymakers and NGOs.

Final Remarks

In his final remarks, Artur Kluz highlighted that the 2024 Award Ceremony, and presence of so many guests, friends of peace, and Prize winners are the great testimony of Kluz Prize for PeaceTech’s mission. He highlighted that there is hope for PeaceTech and we should not be afraid of responsible use of technologies for peacebuilding and safeguarding human rights.

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The 2024 Kluz Prize for PeaceTech Award Ceremony served as both a celebration of current achievements and a call to action for future innovation. As we look ahead, it’s clear that realizing the full potential of PeaceTech will require concerted efforts across industries and sectors. The insights gathered from this year’s event pointed to several key areas for action:

1. Developing ethical frameworks that are specifically designed for PeaceTech applications to ensure responsible innovation

2. Building active awareness among the tech community including engineers, programmers, tech entrepreneurs, venture capitalists and tech investors 

3. Identification of unique PeaceTech applications among private and public tech companies supported by advanced deep tech analysis 

4. Establishing sustainable funding models to provide long-term support for peace-building initiatives, allowing them to scale and sustain impact

5. Fostering interdisciplinary collaboration that brings together  technologists, peace practitioners, and policymakers to co-create solutions for global stability

6. Investing in data infrastructure and foundational technologies that can support a broad range of  peace-building applications and enhance their scalability

7. Refining and enhancing metrics to measure the impact of PeaceTech initiatives, particularly in capturing long-term and intangible benefits 

Have any questions or are interested in collaborating? Contact us at info@kluzprize.org to learn more about how you can get involved in shaping the future of PeaceTech.