September 06, 2018

Beyond Killer Robots: How Artificial Intelligence Can Improve Resilience in Cyber Space

Recently, one of us spent a week in China discussing the future of war with a group of American and Chinese academics. Everyone speculated about the role of artificial intelligence (AI), but, surprisingly, many Chinese participants equated AI almost exclusively with armies of killer robots.

Popular imagination and much of current AI scholarship tend to focus, understandably, on the more glamorous aspects of AI — the stuff of science fiction and the Terminator movies. While lethal and autonomous weapons have been a hot topic in recent years, this is only one aspect of war that will change as artificial intelligence becomes more sophisticated. As Michael Horowitz wrote in the Texas National Security Review, AI itself will not manifest just as a weapon; rather, it is an enabler that can support a broad spectrum of technologies. We agree: AI’s most substantial impacts are likely to fly under the radar in discussions about its potential. Therefore, a more holistic conversation should acknowledge AI’s potential effects in cyber space, not by facilitating cyber attacks, but rather by improving cyber security at scale through increased asset awareness and minimized source code vulnerabilities.

Read the Full Article at War on the Rocks

  • Podcast
    • December 20, 2024
    How Can the Trump Administration Strengthen U.S. AI Leadership?

    With a new administration just around the corner, now is the time for the US to strengthen its position as a global leader in AI. Even with changing leadership, there remain n...

    By Paul Scharre

  • Commentary
    • Foreign Policy
    • December 19, 2024
    How China’s Antitrust Tactics Undermine U.S. Tech Leadership

    If the United States fails to address this threat, it risks not just losing ground in the technology race, but ceding control over the rules that govern it....

    By Ruby Scanlon

  • Commentary
    • December 12, 2024
    Sharper: Tariffs

    The incoming Trump administration has signaled that tariffs will be a central pillar of its economic strategy, with significant implications for international trade, the Ameri...

    By Eleanor Hume, Charles Horn & Gwendolyn Nowaczyk

  • Reports
    • December 11, 2024
    Technology to Secure the AI Chip Supply Chain: A Working Paper

    Advanced artificial intelligence (AI) systems, built and deployed with specialized chips, show vast potential to drive economic growth and scientific progress....

    By Tim Fist, Tao Burga & Vivek Chilukuri

View All Reports View All Articles & Multimedia