May 30, 2018
Artificial Intelligence, International Competition, and the Balance of Power
In early September 2017, Russian President Vladimir Putin brought artificial intelligence from the labs of Silicon Valley, academia, and the basement of the Pentagon to the forefront of international politics. “Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for Russia, but for all humankind,” he said. “It comes with colossal opportunities, but also threats that are difficult to predict. Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world.”
Putin’s remarks reflect a belief, growing in sectors and regions across the world, that advances in artificial intelligence will be critical for the future — in areas as varied as work, society, and military power. Artificial intelligence is a critical element of what Klaus Schwab, head of the World Economic Forum, calls the Fourth Industrial Revolution. Eric Schmidt, the former CEO of Google, argues that artificial intelligence is so important to the future of power that the United States needs a national strategy on artificial intelligence, just as it had one for the development of space technology during the Cold War. Elon Musk, the head of Tesla and SpaceX, has even said that growth in artificial intelligence technology, left unchecked, could risk sparking World War III. These statements suggest that artificial intelligence will have a large and potentially deterministic influence on global politics and the balance of power.
Read the Full Article at the Texas National Security Review
More from CNAS
-
Technology & National Security
The White House’s Secret AI Rules + the State of Model Alignment With METR’s Chris Painter + the Final Hot Mess ExpressThen, yet another report details new incidents in which A.I. agents have gone rogue. Chris Painter, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and the ...
By Chris Painter
-
Technology & National Security
AI Roundup: AI Going Rogue, Music Labels Want Popular AI Music GuidelinesDaniel Remler, senior fellow with the Technology and National Security Program at the Center for a New American Security (CNAS), joined AirTalk to discuss the White House's me...
By Daniel Remler
-
Technology & National Security
The Cure for Russia’s Labor Shortage Is Worse Than the DiseaseAltogether, while Russia’s labor crisis is becoming a structural constraint on the Kremlin’s wartime economy, domestic stability, and long-term geopolitical ambitions, its res...
By Samuel Bendett
-
Technology & National Security
AI Diplomacy: Dueling Banjos?Its economic potential is huge, but AI also brings serious national security threats. How exactly do diplomats work to create global standards that promote innovation but also...
By Daniel Remler
