November 20, 2017
It’s time for congressional hearings on weaponized AI
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.
More from CNAS
-
Reports
Technology & National Security
Countering the Digital Silk Road: Saudi ArabiaProject Overview The year 2025 marks the 10th anniversary of the Digital Silk Road (DSR), China’s ambitious initiative to shape critical digital infrastructure around the worl...
By Vivek Chilukuri & Ruby Scanlon
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
A Strategic Bet to Advance America’s Quantum LeadershipThe United States’ lead, however, is increasingly fragile: underinvestment, inconsistent demand, and a brittle supply chain are threatening to trap quantum sensing prototypes ...
By Constanza M. Vidal Bustamante
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
Sharper: QuantumIn the 21st century, the countries with the most advanced quantum technologies could have the most advanced weapons systems, pharmaceuticals, weather forecasting, and clean en...
By Sam Howell & Charles Horn
-
Commentary
Indo-Pacific Security / Energy, Economics & Security / Technology & National Security
Selling AI Chips Won’t Keep China Hooked on U.S. TechnologyU.S. policy should not rest on the illusion that selling chips can trap China inside the American tech ecosystem....
By Janet Egan
