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King's College London

Andrew Cheatham

Andrew Cheatham JD

Visiting Senior Research Fellow

Research interests

  • Conflict
  • Security

Contact details

andrew@andrewccheatham.org
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Biography

Andrew Cheatham has led initiatives on disruptive technologies and conflict at the United States Institute of Peace (USIP), and has served with the United Nations in New York, Iraq, Libya and Tunisia, as well as with the African Union in Somalia. His research explores the implications of artificial intelligence (AI), the law of armed conflict, strategic communications and institutional resilience amid a rapidly fragmenting global order.

He is the Chief Counsel and Managing Director of Pragmatic Panic Legal and Social Services, a not-for-profit organisation that offers legal support to communities affected by the downstream impacts of global threats to peace and security. As part of this work, he is leading research focused on training AI systems to operate in accordance with the laws of armed conflict. Andrew holds a law degree from the City University of New York School of Law, a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from Boston University and was awarded a Master’s in War Studies with Distinction from King’s College London. He is admitted as a member of the Bar in both New York and Washington, DC.

Key research areas

  • Protection of civilians in armed conflict: evolving risks, legal frameworks, and operational challenges.
  • Real-time harm mitigation strategies for use in conflict-affected environments.
  • Normative development and institutional practices for war crimes accountability in the face of technological disruption and geopolitical instability.
  • Integrating Global South perspectives into discourses on the evolution of the law of armed conflict.
  • Strategic engagement with middle powers, the Non-Aligned Movement, and Global South dynamics in the context of security governance.

Andrew Cheatham’s research focuses on the future of civilian protection in armed conflict, addressing the operational and normative challenges emerging amid weakened global governance and rapidly evolving technologies. His work explores how civilians are increasingly exposed to harm—from targeted violence to algorithmic warfare—while legal and institutional safeguards erode.

Through the initiative Reimagining Civilian Protection and Accountability, Andrew analyses geopolitical constraints, normative shifts, and legal evolution, while also producing real-time harm mitigation strategies for use in conflict zones. His research draws from deep field experience across more than 30 countries and integrates Global South perspectives into international legal and policy discourse. Andrew also translates research into practical impact that bridges theory and frontline realities to train the next generation of security practitioners. His aim is to shape operational responses and global policy on civilian protection in today’s multipolar world.

Publications

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