October 27, 2017
The United States Can Be a World Leader in AI. Here's How.
The artificial intelligence (AI) revolution is upon us. Artificial general intelligence—machines that could perform the full range of intellectual tasks better than humans—are still far off. But narrow AIs built to do specific tasks better than humans are proliferating. We interact with them daily, whether in the form of smartphone apps, self-driving cars or drones. Nations are already jostling for advantage. As Russian President Vladimir Putin said last month, “Whoever becomes the leader in [AI] will become the ruler of the world.” Some are more cautious. SpaceX and Tesla CEO Elon Musk tweeted a response to Putin: “Competition for AI superiority at national level [is the] most likely cause of WW3.”
The United States must grapple with how best to take advantage of this new industrial revolution. This isn’t just a question about how to harness AI’s full potential. It’s also a question about how to mitigate the risks posed by AI proliferation at home and abroad.
Read the full op-ed in The National Interest.
More from CNAS
-
Energy, Economics & Security / Technology & National Security
Who Will Make Money on AI? With Paul ScharrePaul Scharre joins Emily and Geoff to talk about how commercial markets for AI might evolve and how different market outcomes may mean different types of risks for U.S. nation...
By Emily Kilcrease, Geoffrey Gertz & Paul Scharre
-
Technology & National Security
Quantum's Industrial MomentQuantum technologies are approaching a critical inflection point. Over the next three to five years, quantum sensors and computers that have long remained confined to laborato...
By Constanza M. Vidal Bustamante & Dr. John Burke
-
Technology & National Security
Silicon Valley Goes to WarAs reports emerge of AI-powered weapons systems deployed in strikes on Iran, Dr. Sarah Shoker, Senior Research Scholar at UC Berkeley, and Paul Scharre, Executive Vice Preside...
By Paul Scharre
-
Technology & National Security
Anthropic-Pentagon Clash Spotlights the Role of AI in WarAnthropic sued the U.S. Department of Defense on Monday over its decision to designate the San Francisco AI company a “supply-chain risk to America’s national security.” That’...
By Paul Scharre