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Artificial Intelligence Safety and Stability

Nations around the world are investing in artificial intelligence (AI) to improve their military, intelligence, and other national security capabilities. Yet AI technology, at present, has significant safety and security vulnerabilities. AI systems could fail, potentially in unexpected ways, due to a variety of causes. Moreover, the interactive nature of military competition means that one nation’s actions affect others, including in ways that may be detrimental to mutual stability. There is an urgent need to explore actions that can mitigate these risks, such as improved processes for AI assurance, norms and best practices for responsible AI adoption, and confidence-building measures that improve stability among all nations.

The Center for a New American Security (CNAS) Artificial Intelligence Safety and Stability project aims to better understand AI risks and specific steps that can be taken to improve AI safety and stability in national security applications. Major lines of effort include:

This cross-program effort includes the CNAS Technology and National Security, Defense, Indo-Pacific Security, Transatlantic Security, and Energy, Economics, and Security programs. CNAS experts will share their findings in public reports and policy briefs with recommendations for policymakers.

This project is made possible with the generous support of Open Philanthropy.

Learn More:

Further Reading:

Technology & National Security

Putting Principles into Practice: How the U.S. Defense Department is Approaching AI

While the application of RAI is still at a nascent stage, the DoD’s continued messaging and prioritization of safe and ethical AI is important....

Technology & National Security

Debunking the AI Arms Race Theory

In 2015, a group of prominent AI and robotics researchers signed an open letter warning of the dangers of autonomous weapons. “The key question for humanity today,” they wrote...

Technology & National Security

AI and International Stability: Risks and Confidence-Building Measures

Exploring the potential use of confidence-building measures built around the shared interests that all countries have in preventing inadvertent war....

CNAS Experts