Paddy Walker
| Dr Paddy Walker PhD, KRB | |
|---|---|
| Born | |
| 🏳️ Nationality | British |
| 🏫 Education | Durham University; Royal Military Academy Sandhurst; Cornell University (MBA); University of Buckingham (MA, PhD) |
| 💼 Occupation | Businessman; researcher; author |
| Known for | Work on autonomous weapon systems and human control in warfare |
| Title | Joint Managing Director, Leon Group |
Paddy Walker is a British businessman, academic, and author whose work focuses on the ethical, legal, and technical challenges raised by autonomous weapon systems and the role of human oversight in lethal decision-making.[1][2][3]
He is the author of War Without Oversight: Why We Need Humans on the Battlefield (2025) and co-authored War's Changed Landscape?: A Primer on Conflict's Forms and Norms (2023).[4][5]
Education and career
Walker studied at Durham University,[2][3] after which he was commissioned into the 5th Royal Inniskilling Dragoon Guards and attended the Royal Military Academy Sandhurst.[6][7][2][3] He later completed an MBA at Cornell University’s Johnson Graduate School of Management.[2][3]
Walker is Joint Managing Director of the Leon Group, a multi-generation family office.[8][2][3] He was previously chair of the Institute for Family Business Family Office Forum.[2][9]
He is a member of the Royal Company of Archers, the King's bodyguard in Scotland.[9][10]
Drones and autonomous weapon systems
Walker has a master's degree from the University of Buckingham’s School of Modern War Studies and a PhD from the University of Buckingham’s School of Humanities, with doctoral research focused on drones and challenges to their deployment in combat situations.[2][3] His research and commentary focus on autonomous weapon systems (AWS) and the implications of reducing or removing human oversight from lethal decision-making, including questions of accountability and compliance with the laws of armed conflict.[1][4][3] His book War Without Oversight: Why We Need Humans on the Battlefield addresses these themes, and he co-authored War's Changed Landscape?: A Primer on Conflict's Forms and Norms with Peter Roberts.[4][5][6]
He is an Associate Fellow at the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI).[9] He has also been listed as a Senior Research Fellow at the University of Buckingham’s Humanities Research Institute.[2][9] Walker is a board member of the UK charity Article 36.[11] He is an Associate of the Imperial War Museum’s Institute for the Public Understanding of War and Conflict.[12]
In June 2023, Walker gave oral evidence to the House of Lords Artificial Intelligence in Weapons Systems Committee during its inquiry into AI in weapon systems.[13]
Charities and public service
Walker served on the London Committee of Human Rights Watch.[9]
The Leon Group manages its charitable giving through a Philanthropy Council, with a stated focus on areas including support for vulnerable and marginalised people, opportunities for disadvantaged young people, human rights advocacy, and social integration in Britain.[14]
CampdenFB has reported that the group's interests include funding in areas such as human rights advocacy and countering hate speech, and it referenced support for organisations including HOPE not hate and the Prison Reform Trust.[8] The Leon Group has listed recipients of support of a number of cross-sector charitable foundations including Canopy Earth, Airwars, and the National Theatre.[14][15]
Walker has also been listed as an advisor to FJ Philanthropy.[16]
Selected works
- Walker, Paddy. War Without Oversight: Why We Need Humans on the Battlefield. Howgate Publishing, 2025.[4][6]
- Walker, Paddy; Roberts, Peter. War's Changed Landscape?: A Primer on Conflict's Forms and Norms. Howgate Publishing, 2023.[5]
- Walker, Paddy. "Leadership Challenges from the Deployment of Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems: How Erosion of Human Supervision Over Lethal Engagement Will Impact How Commanders Exercise Leadership." The RUSI Journal (2021).[17]
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 "The rise of autonomous warfare: a conversation with Dr Paddy Walker on his book "War Without Oversight: Why We Need Humans on the Battlefield"". Action on Armed Violence (AOAV). 17 February 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 2.7 "Dr Paddy Walker". University of Buckingham. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 3.3 3.4 3.5 3.6 "Paddy Walker PhD". paddywalker.com. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 "Paddy Walker, "War Without Oversight: Why We Need Humans on the Battlefield" (Howgate, 2025)". New Books Network. 7 April 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 "Paddy Walker and Peter Roberts, "War's Changed Landscape?: A Primer on Conflict's Forms and Norms"". New Books Network. 27 January 2024. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ 6.0 6.1 6.2 "Paddy Walker". Howgate Publishing. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ "War Without Oversight: In Conversation with Paddy Walker and Elke Schwarz". RUSI. 5 February 2025. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 "Lethal AI: The ethical war against killer robots". CampdenFB. 22 April 2019. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 9.2 9.3 9.4 "Dr Paddy Walker". Royal United Services Institute. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ "The Royal Company of Archers". Royal.uk. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ "Who we are". Article 36. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ "IWM Institute Associates". Imperial War Museums. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ "Corrected oral evidence: Artificial Intelligence in Weapons Systems (8 June 2023)". UK Parliament Committees. 8 June 2023. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 "Charities". J Leon Group. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ↑ "Current supporters". National Theatre. Retrieved 18 January 2026.
- ↑ "Advisors". FJ Philanthropy. Retrieved 16 January 2026.
- ↑ Walker, Paddy (2021). "Leadership Challenges from the Deployment of Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems: How Erosion of Human Supervision Over Lethal Engagement Will Impact How Commanders Exercise Leadership". The RUSI Journal. doi:10.1080/03071847.2021.1915702.
External links
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