In Warhead: How the Brain Shapes War and War Shapes the Brain, Nicholas Wright argues that war and competition are rooted in human biology—in our drives for survival, fairness, territory, and belonging.

Wright is a neuroscientist who researches the brain, technology, and security at University College London; Georgetown University; and the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington, DC, where he also advises the Pentagon. In his new book, he explores how each region of the brain is linked to a certain dimension of conflict—explaining why war seems inevitable, yet also why peace is possible.

In his conversation with Nikolaus Lang, global leader of the BCG Henderson Institute, he discusses why neuroscience is a powerful lens to understand conflict, how it helps military leaders make decisions, and why we need to give AI a prefrontal cortex to ensure it makes wise decisions in conflict situations.

Key topics discussed: 

[01:27] Neuroscience as a lens to understand conflict
[04:10] The role of prediction error in the psychology of war
[07:29] The clash between the amygdala and prefrontal cortex
[12:46] How AI and its interaction with humans may influence the future of conflict
[18:55] How neuroscience insights help military leaders make decisions
[22:13] Training political and business leaders based on neuroscience insights