When a Military Innovates, Is It Always an Improvement? Meet the Schar School Professor Asking the Question

Military innovation has long been hailed as the engine of strategic advantage-but what if it also sows the seeds of defeat? Around the world, generals and defense ministers are racing to understand how drones, artificial intelligence, and cyber weapons are reshaping the battlefield-and whether the very innovations meant to make militaries stronger could, paradoxically, make them weaker.

That paradox is at the heart of the research of George Mason University Professor Kendrick Kuo, who joined the school this fall. His research, which he brings to his international relations master's degree classrooms, explores when radical change in the way armies fight can actually erode their effectiveness.

"My primary focus right now is completing my book manuscript on military innovation, which considers when and how radical changes to the way military organizations fight can actually undermine their performance," he said. "The topic is particularly important at this moment when militaries around the world are grappling with the implications of emerging technologies and how to adapt to the changing character of war."

These topics, he said, "are complex and fundamentally about navigating uncertainty and managing risk. Can we know if a military organization is well-prepared for conflict? How much defense spending is enough and what are the proper weapons to buy and the optimal force structure?"

There are few definitive answers, but some answers are better than others, he said.

"The intriguing challenge then is to figure out how to get to those better answers, and we cannot outsource those answers to the military-we can only arrive at them with healthy dialog between civilian and military counterparts."

Kuo said he was attracted to George Mason and the Schar School of Policy and Governmentbecause "it's a great place to connect strong academic research with policy impact. Being so close to Washington, D.C., means there are opportunities to engage with policymakers and bring those insights back into the classroom.

"I'm also excited about the Schar School's growing international security program. But most of all, I value the school's commitment to students: helping them apply what they learn to real-world challenges."

As for those students, he has found his classrooms at the Schar School feature students "who are engaged and take their learning seriously, even while juggling jobs and other commitments. It's great to see them show up ready to participate and tackle the material, which makes teaching rewarding."

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