Dualuserisker

Dualuserisker is a term used in risk assessment to describe the risks associated with dual-use technologies—those that have legitimate civilian applications but can be repurposed for harmful or unlawful ends. The term is not widely standardized and may appear as a shorthand in policy discussions, industry briefings, or academic work to emphasize the dual nature of certain innovations and the need for balanced governance.

Scope and drivers of dualuserisker include the inherent duality of a technology, the context of its deployment, the capabilities of potential actors, and the regulatory environment. Factors such as complexity, accessibility of manufacturing or replication, potential for misuse, and the speed of deployment all influence the level of risk. Assessment often requires cross-disciplinary input from technical experts, ethicists, policymakers, and security professionals.

Assessment approaches commonly used to characterize dualuserisker include risk matrices that map likelihood against potential impact, scenario analysis to explore plausible misuse pathways, and life-cycle assessments that consider development, distribution, and end-of-life stages. Some frameworks attempt quantitative scoring or export-control risk categorization to guide governance.

Examples of domains where dualuserisker is discussed include artificial intelligence, biotechnology, cryptography and cyber tools, advanced materials, and surveillance technologies. In these areas, mitigation strategies focus on responsible innovation, risk-aware design, robust oversight, licensing and export controls, red-teaming and safety testing, transparency where appropriate, and collaboration among industry, government, and the public to align benefits with safeguards.

In policy and industry discourse, dualuserisker serves as a focal point for balancing innovation with security, aiming to maximize beneficial uses while minimizing potential harms.