September 06, 2018
Beyond Killer Robots: How Artificial Intelligence Can Improve Resilience in Cyber Space
Recently, one of us spent a week in China discussing the future of war with a group of American and Chinese academics. Everyone speculated about the role of artificial intelligence (AI), but, surprisingly, many Chinese participants equated AI almost exclusively with armies of killer robots.
Popular imagination and much of current AI scholarship tend to focus, understandably, on the more glamorous aspects of AI — the stuff of science fiction and the Terminator movies. While lethal and autonomous weapons have been a hot topic in recent years, this is only one aspect of war that will change as artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated. As Michael Horowitz wrote in the Texas National Security Review, AI itself will not manifest just as a weapon; rather, it is an enabler that can support a broad spectrum of technologies. We agree: AI’s most substantial impacts are likely to fly under the radar in discussions about its potential. Therefore, a more holistic conversation should acknowledge AI’s potential effects in cyber space, not by facilitating cyber attacks, but rather by improving cyber security at scale through increased asset awareness and minimized source code vulnerabilities.
Read the Full Article at War on the Rocks
More from CNAS
-
Atomic Advantage
Reports
Executive Summary One of the most consequential national security contests now unfolds on battlefields invisible to the naked eye—across the faint radiofrequency signals of th...
By Constanza M. Vidal Bustamante
-
Semiconductor Imports and U.S. National Security
Commentary
The Secretary of Commerce has initiated a Section 232 investigation to determine the effects on the national security of imports of semiconductors and semiconductor manufactur...
By Geoffrey Gertz & Caleb Withers
-
Sharper: America’s Edge
Commentary
A volatile global security environment requires the United States and its allies to develop new tactics and capabilities to deal with novel global threats. On June 3, policyma...
By Charles Horn
-
Artificial Intelligence Infrastructure on DOE Lands
Commentary
Maintaining America’s lead in AI data centers is critical for U.S. AI dominance....
By Caleb Withers, Janet Egan & Spencer Michaels
