November 20, 2017

It’s time for congressional hearings on weaponized AI

By Gregory C. Allen

Progress in AI technology, according to one of its leading researchers, will bring about “an equally large transformation” as the electricity revolution did roughly a century ago. That’s not merely hype. America’s technology giants are spending billions to “remake themselves around AI.” It’s no surprise, then, that military and intelligence organizations around the world are looking to do the same. In a study I co-authored on AI and national security for the U.S. Intelligence Community, we found that AI technology is poised to deliver revolutionary capabilities across the landscape of warfare and espionage.  

Global leaders have taken notice. This past Monday, The United Nations’ Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons met in Geneva to discuss potential restrictions on robotic weapons systems using AI. Not everyone is eager to participate. In September, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that “Artificial intelligence is the future. Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world.” True to form: Russia has dramatically increased spending on robotic weapons platforms. Russia plans for 30 percent of its military to be robotic by 2030.

Read the full op-ed in The Hill.

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