A.I. JOE: - THE DANGERS OF ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE AND THE MILITARY

In June, the DOD issued its “Data, Analytics, and Artificial Intelligence Adoption Strategy.” The subtitle of the document is “Accelerating Decision Advantage,” which highlights the core message of the strategy: AI is a powerful tool to enhance DOD warfighting and other capabilities, and the Pentagon must accelerate its development and adoption of AI technologies. [...] The introduction of the AI companies into this space is poised to complicate this standard process, with competition between the traditional contractors and the new entrants, with new dynamics between the AI companies and the Pentagon, and new channels of corporate influence. [...] One stated priority is to “exercise appropriate care in the AI product and acquisition lifecycle to ensure potential AI risks are considered from the outset of an AI project, and efforts are taken to mitigate or ameliorate such risks and reduce unintended consequences, while enabling AI development at the pace the Department needs to meet the National Defense Strategy.” 7 Many of the lines of effo. [...] The removal of human common sense – the ability to look at a situation and restrain from authorizing lethal force, even in the face of indicators pointing to the use of force – can only worsen the problem still more. [...] Government to make the hard decision and the down payment to win the AI era.” The report issued “an uncomfortable message,” that “America is not prepared to defend or compete in the AI era.” Massive investments are needed, the report declared, “to protect [America’s] security, promote its prosperity, and safeguard the future of democracy.