Bradford experts warn of rising neuro-weapon threat
A new book by University of Bradford academics urges urgent global action to prevent the weaponisation of neuroscience, as advances in AI and pharmacology create unprecedented risks to human cognition, behaviour and security.
A new publication by two University of Bradford academics carries a stark warning about the emerging threat of chemical “neuro-weapons” designed to attack or manipulate the human brain and central nervous system (CNS). It calls for urgent international action to prevent the misuse of neuroscience and associated life and chemical sciences.
Read The Guardian article here.
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Read the Daily Mail article here.
Above: Dr Michael Crowley outlining the dangers of 'mind-control' drugs at a packed Conference of CWC States Parties in the Hague - the conference met to discuss preventing weaponisation of CNS-acting chemicals.
The book, Preventing Weaponization of CNS-acting Chemicals: A Holistic Arms Control Analysis (published by the Royal Society of Chemistry), co-authored by Dr Michael Crowley and Professor Malcolm Dando, explores how advances in neuroscience, pharmacology and artificial intelligence are converging to create a new frontier in warfare: the human mind.
The authors argue that the ability to chemically attack or alter consciousness, perception, memory or behaviour is no longer the stuff of science fiction. Instead, it is a real and growing threat – one that existing arms control treaties are ill-equipped to address.
“We are entering an era where the brain itself could become a battlefield,” said Dr Crowley. “The tools to manipulate the central nervous system – to sedate, confuse, or even coerce – are becoming more precise, more accessible, and more attractive to states.”
From Cold War experiments to 21st-century convergence
The book traces the history of state-sponsored research into central nervous system (CNS)-acting chemicals, from Cold War-era experiments by the CIA and Soviet Union to more recent incidents such as the 2002 Moscow theatre siege, where Russian forces used aerosolised fentanyl derivatives to incapacitate hostage-takers – and inadvertently killed over 120 hostages.
While previous clandestine weapons programmes often failed to produce reliable weapons due to limitations in knowledge and technology, the authors argue that today’s scientific and technological landscape is very different. Advances in neuroscience, pharmacology, synthetic biology, AI and delivery mechanisms are enabling a level of precision and control that was previously unimaginable.
Chapter 3 of the book, for example, explores how scientists are now mapping the brain’s “survival circuits” – the neural pathways that govern fear, sleep, aggression and decision-making. Understanding these circuits opens the door to potential manipulation, whether for therapeutic or hostile purposes.
“The same knowledge that helps us treat neurological disorders could be used to disrupt cognition, induce compliance, or even in the future turn people into unwitting agents,” said Professor Dando. “That’s the dual-use dilemma we face.”
A regulatory grey zone
Despite the potential for misuse, the authors argue that current international treaties – including the Biological and Toxin Weapons Convention (BTWC) and the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) – contain loopholes and ambiguities and are not being properly implemented when it comes to CNS-acting agents.
For example, while both treaties collectively prohibit the development and deployment of chemical and biological weapons, they allow use of certain chemicals in specific circumstances, notably law enforcement. This raises the danger that such exceptions could be exploited to justify the weaponisation of CNS-acting agents or incapacitating agents attacking other core physiological systems.
“There are dangerous regulatory gaps within and between these treaties,” said Dr Crowley. “Unless they are closed, we fear certain States may be emboldened to exploit them in dedicated CNS and broader incapacitating agent weapons programmes.”
Above: Dr Michael Crowley addressing the Chemical Weapons Convention in Geneva in 2022.
The call for holistic arms control
To address this, the authors propose a new framework: Holistic Arms Control (HAC). Rather than relying solely on traditional arms control treaties, HAC integrates multiple layers of governance, including international human rights law, international humanitarian law, UN drug conventions, medical ethics, and the codes of conduct of scientific professional bodies.
The book outlines practical steps that could be taken, such as:
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Establishing a dedicated working group on CNS-acting and broader incapacitating agents within the Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW)
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Updating treaty definitions and implementation guidance, as well as strengthening monitoring and verification capabilities to reflect new scientific realities
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Embedding dual-use awareness and ethics training in neuroscience and broader life and chemical science education
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Encouraging scientists and civil society to play a more active role in monitoring and promoting implementation of arms control treaties
“We need to move from reactive to proactive governance,” said Professor Dando. “The science is moving fast – our regulatory systems need to catch up.”
A wake-up call for the 21st century
The authors stress that their aim is not to stifle scientific progress, but to ensure it is guided by ethical and legal safeguards. They argue that the weaponisation of neuroscience is not inevitable, but without action, it is increasingly likely.
“This is a wake-up call,” said Dr Crowley. “We must act now to protect the integrity of science and the sanctity of the human mind.”
Notes to editors:
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Preventing Weaponization of CNS-acting Chemicals: A Holistic Arms Control Analysis is published by the Royal Society of Chemistry (2025).
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Dr Michael Crowley is an Honorary Visiting Senior Research Fellow at the University of Bradford’s Division of Peace Studies and International Development.