September 05, 2017
Putin and Musk are right: Whoever masters AI will run the world
Last Friday, a million Russian schoolchildren watched a televised address from Russian President Vladimir Putin. "Artificial intelligence is the future, not only of Russia, but of all of mankind," Putin said. "Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world." After seeing Putin's comments, SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted that "competition for AI superiority at national level (is the) most likely cause of WW3."
Though never before stated so frankly by a head of state, Putin's views on AI are increasingly shared by national security leaders in the United States, China and around the world. As I wrote in a report published by the Harvard Belfer Center for Science and International Affairs, AI research is likely to deliver a revolution in military technology on par with the invention of aircraft and nuclear weapons. In other words, Musk is correct that each country is pursuing AI superiority and that this pursuit brings new risks.
Read the full op-ed in CNN.
More from CNAS
-
Ukraine expands its 'Army of drones'
Video
Workshops where drones are built are popping up all over Ukraine at a rapid pace. They are spread across the entire country so that the Russians cannot wipe out all production...
By Samuel Bendett
-
Why the US, Japan and South Korea should take the quantum leap together
Commentary
Beyond boosting business and driving innovation, quantum may also power the next generation of defense technologies....
By Sam Howell
-
The Key To Winning The Global AI Race
Commentary
It’s essential to ensure that AI is shared beyond the leading labs to other firms, schools and even the government itself....
By Jordan Schneider & Matthew Mittelsteadt
-
'Tech war' is brewing between U.S. and China, says Palantir's Jacob Helberg
Video
Jacob Helberg, Palantir senior policy advisor and CNAS adjunct fellow, joins 'Squawk Box' to discuss the implications of the 'tech war' between the U.S. and China, the result ...
By Jacob Helberg
