Artificial Intelligence
Ghost in the Machine: Coming to Terms with the Human Core of Unmanned War
The widespread assumption that the United States can achieve favorable outcomes in war with more machines and fewer humans must be subjected to rigorous scrutiny. This article challenges that assumption through a historical inquiry guided by the catalysts for…
How World War II Bureaucratic Sabotage Endures in the Defense Department, and How to Fight Back
In an age where power hangs on technological advantage, America's greatest saboteur may be itself. A World War II sabotage manual from the predecessor to the CIA reveals how bureaucracy drains the Defense Department of purpose and delays progress. But there is…
Machine Failing: How Systems Acquisition and Software Development Flaws Contribute to Military Accidents
How does software contribute to military accidents? The stakes are high. During the Cold War, computerized early warning systems produced “near-miss” nuclear crises. In the future, military AI applications could fail with devastating consequences. To…
War Is from Mars, AI Is from Venus: Rediscovering the Institutional Context of Military Automation
For nearly a century, the artificial intelligence (AI) revolution has been just over the horizon, and yet that horizon is always receding. Dramatic advances in commercial AI once again inspire great hopes and fears for military AI. Perhaps this time will be…
Arms Control for Artificial Intelligence
As AI continues to advance, some have voiced concerns about the dangers of AI-enabled weapons systems. This raises the question of how feasible it will be to control military use of AI. Megan Lamberth and Paul Scharre look at a number of characteristics that…
Debunking the AI Arms Race Theory
There is no AI arms race. However, military competition in AI does still pose certain risks. These include losing human control and the acceleration of warfare, as well as the risk that perceptions of an arms race will cause competitors to cut corners on…
Allies and Artificial Intelligence: Obstacles to Operations and Decision-Making
Artificial intelligence (AI) promises to increase military efficiency, but also poses unique challenges to multinational military operations and decision-making that scholars and policymakers have yet to explore. The data- and resource-intensive nature of AI…
Artificial Intelligence, International Competition, and the Balance of Power
World leaders, CEOs, and academics have suggested that a revolution in artificial intelligence is upon us. Are they right, and what will advances in artificial intelligence mean for international competition and the balance of power? This article evaluates how…