About
Ori Swed is an Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology, Anthropology, and Social Work at Texas Tech University, serving as Director of the Peace, War, & Social Conflict Laboratory and Chief Editor of Armed Forces & Society. With 12 years of field experience as an Israel Defense Force special forces operative, reserve captain, and private security contractor, his work uniquely bridges academic research and operational security contexts.
Dr. Swed's research centers on political sociology and organizational theory, examining human security through the lens of privatized aid/security systems and technology-organization dynamics in conflict zones. He specializes in how violent nonstate actors (VNSAs) exploit democratized technologies like AI and drones for offensive operations, propaganda, and intelligence gathering. His interdisciplinary approach spans micro-macro sociological analysis to address contemporary security challenges.
His recent publications reveal critical trends: VNSAs leverage accessible technologies (drones, AI systems) to bypass traditional barriers, with democratized tools enabling attacks via self-driving cars, internet bots, and 3D printing. Research emphasizes cost-proportionality challenges for security providers and the dual-use dilemma where benign technologies become security threats in conflict settings.
Scientific Awards: No awards were documented in the source material.
Advising and Grants: The provided texts contain no information about student advising, grant funding, or sponsored research projects.
Labs and Teams: Directs the Peace, War, & Social Conflict Laboratory (PWSCL), which serves as an interdisciplinary hub for analyzing technological innovation in warfare, nonstate actor tactics, and human security frameworks through empirical research and policy-relevant scholarship.
