Volume XIII Issue 2 (2023)

Letter from the Editor

​In our last issue of The National Security Law Brief, Vol. 13, No. 1, we highlighted the dynamism that makes National Security Law such an exciting field. In this issue, No. 2, we continue with the dynamism theme. National security law is a field in constant change that often leaves us questioning how these changes will shape the law. New social media platforms like TikTok show us the limitations of our current data privacy frameworks. As we await the Ukrainian counter-offensive, we ask what happens next. Whether the war ends this year or ten years from now, how will the international community hold Russia accountable? Meanwhile, new technologies like ChatGPT and OpenAI show us suddenly that Artificial Intelligence (A.I.) is not a thing of science fiction. So, do we need new regulatory frameworks for A.I. use by the military? In this issue, we investigate how recent changes and events highlight the limitations of our legal frameworks, and we consider responses that might address those limitations. As a result, we are pleased to present a collection of unique perspectives concerning nascent national security legal issues.

In this issue:

• Sascha-Dominik Dov Bachmann and Richard V. Grant examine comparative international regulatory approaches across the U.S., U.K., and Europe, suggesting a future direction for Australian regulation of A.I. in lethal applications.

• Washington College of Law Student, Chris Galarza, discusses the law of armed conflict, its application in Ukraine, and the international community's ability to hold Russia accountable.

• Finally, our Managing Editor, Dara Paleski, argues that the United States’ lack of a national data privacy law undermines national security.

We hope the perspectives we've included in this issue provide valuable analysis while illuminating the limitations of our existing legal frameworks. This is also our final issue of the current Vol. 13. and we are celebrating the graduation of several of our members, including our Managing Editor, Dara Paleski; our Executive Editor, Jackson Colling; our Online Editor, Victoria Ramassini; and our Communications Editor, Lily Goff. Congratulations to all our graduating members; we wish you the best in your future endeavors!

The Brief will welcome a new masthead for Vol. 14 in the Fall 2023 academic semester.

Thank you for reading.

Wayne Rash, III Editor-in-Chief American University National Security Law Brief