Expert Research: The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Artificial Intelligence and Domestic Conflict

Work by Augusta's Dr. Craig Albert and Dr. Lance Hunter published in ResearchGate

Sep 22, 2025

2 min

Artificial Intelligence is often framed as a driver of innovation. But it also has the power to disrupt the very foundations of our societies.

In a recent study, experts Craig Albert, PhD, and Lance Hunter, PhD, from Augusta University explored how AI, as part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, could reshape economies, politics and security within states.

Here are three key takeaways from the research:

AI brings breakthroughs in health care, logistics and engineering, but also disrupts jobs and economies.

Unmanaged disruption can fuel instability, widening inequality and increasing risks of unrest or domestic conflict.

Governments must act now with retraining, adaptive policies and strong governance to harness AI’s benefits while reducing risks.

Lance Hunter, PhD, is an assistant professor of political science with a background in international relations. His research focuses on how terrorist attacks influence politics in democratic countries and how political decisions within countries affect conflicts worldwide. Hunter teaches courses in international relations, security studies and research methods. He received his PhD in Political Science from Texas Tech University in 2011.

View his profile here.

Craig Albert, PhD, is a professor of Political Science and the graduate director of the PhD in Intelligence, Defense, and Cybersecurity Policy and the Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies at Augusta University. His areas of concentration include international security studies, cybersecurity policy, information warfare/influence operations/propaganda, ethnic conflict, cyberterrorism and cyberwar, and political philosophy.

View his profile here.

The question we face is not whether AI will transform society (it already is!) but how we will manage that transformation to strengthen rather than destabilize.

What steps do you think policymakers should prioritize to prepare for this future?

Here's the abstract from the paper in Research Gate:

An emerging field of scholarship in Artificial Intelligence (AI) and computing posits that AI has the potential to significantly alter political and economic landscapes within states by reconfiguring labor markets, economies and political alliances, leading to possible societal disruptions. Thus, this study examines the potential destabilizing economic and political effects AI technology can have on societies and the resulting implications for domestic conflict based on research within the fields of political science, sociology, economics and artificial intelligence. In addition, we conduct interviews with 10 international AI experts from think tanks, academia, multinational technology companies, the military and cyber to assess the possible disruptive effects of AI and how they can affect domestic conflict. Lastly, the study offers steps governments can take to mitigate the potentially destabilizing effects of AI technology to reduce the likelihood of civil conflict and domestic terrorism within states.

Read the full report here:

The Fourth Industrial Revolution, Artificial Intelligence, and Domestic Conflict

Looking to know more? Let us help. Both Albert and Hunter are available to speak with media. Simply click on either experts icon now to arrange an interview today.

Connect with:

Craig Albert, PhD

Graduate Director, PhD in Intelligence, Defense, and Cybersecurity Policy and Master of Arts in Intelligence and Security Studies

Dr. Craig Albert focuses on propaganda, information warfare, national security studies, cyberconflict, and political thought.

Political PhilosophyEthnic ConflictInfluence OperationsCybersecurity Policy & StrategyInternational Security Studies

Lance Hunter, PhD

Professor of Political Science

Dr. Lance Hunter studies the connection between terrorism and political stability in democracies.

PoliticsTerrorismInternational RelationsVotingCivil Liberties

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