Anthony King

Anthony King is a Professor of War Studies (Security and Defence) at the University of Exeter and Director of the Strategy and Security Institute (SSI), established in 2010. He leads SSI’s flagship MA in Applied Strategy, focusing on practical strategy training through simulations and fieldwork. His research bridges sociology and anthropology, emphasizing social transformation in military and civilian contexts. He holds a Leverhulme Major Research Fellowship (2021–24) and has secured five ESRC grants.

Education: BA Archaeology & Anthropology (University of Cambridge), MA Political Science (University of Michigan, 1991), PhD Sociology (University of Salford, 1995). Academic roles include Professor of Sociology at Liverpool University (1997–2006), Professor of War Studies at the University of Warwick (2016–2023), and return to Exeter in 2023.

Research Focus: Military sociology, AI in warfare, urban conflict, command structures, gender in armed forces, and counter-insurgency. Recent work includes Urban Warfare in the Twenty-First Century (2025) and AI, Automation, and War (2025).

Media Engagement: Regular contributor to BBC Radio, The Times, and The Economist, with over 100 media appearances since 2022 on issues like Ukraine and AI’s military implications.

Advisory Roles: Advised NATO, British Army, and Royal Marines. Conducted audits on military culture post-Atherton Report. Currently recruiting PhD students in military sociology, security studies, and AI/military decision-making.

Labs/Teams: Director of SSI, leading research on AI, security, and military-tech complexes. Collaborates with defense institutions globally.