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
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
CNAS Insights | Unpacking the H200 Export PolicyAI Chips for China With two new policies, President Donald Trump has implemented his pledge to allow sales of NVIDIA’s H200 AI chips to China in exchange for a quarter of the ...
By Janet Egan & James Sanders
-
Podcast
Indo-Pacific Security / Technology & National Security
AI and Policy, Both Foreign and DomesticIn an episode recorded just before Christmas, Darren interviews Janet Egan, Senior Fellow and Deputy Director of the Technology and National Security Program at CNAS, about AI...
By Janet Egan
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
Quantum Computing’s Industrial ChallengeThis article was originally published in Just Security. The United States, China, and Europe are preparing to refresh their national quantum programs in 2026, making this a pi...
By Constanza M. Vidal Bustamante
-
Commentary
Technology & National Security
Unlike Giant Companies, Many Small Businesses Can’t Afford AI Infrastructure. This Bill Would HelpThis article was originally published in on NOTUS. Massive private investment has propelled America’s AI leadership, but it also raises thorny questions about the technology’s...
By Vivek Chilukuri
