Many conversations today frame AI + cyber as a looming arms race—faster attackers, smarter malware, more breaches. But what if the real opportunity is to make the cybersecurity aftermarket obsolete by addressing its root cause: insecure, defect-ridden software? For nearly 40 years, the world has been patching the same types of software flaws that caused the first Internet crash in 1988. The truth is: We don’t have a cybersecurity problem. We have a software quality problem. That can finally change.

The preliminary lessons learned from the Russia-Ukraine war are not new; at their core these lessons have been described by military strategists throughout history. They are, however, an uncomfortable reminder that warfare is complicated and inherently complex, and combinations of, for example, human behaviour and fast innovation contribute to fast adaptive cycles and, arguably, increased unpredictability.

Sovereignty and its Discontents (SAID) is a DPhil-run, historically motivated workshop that critically analyses multiple conceptions of sovereignty, authority, and power in International Relations and Politics. We welcome students and faculty from all departments and centres to join and critically learn together!