June 16, 2020
James Johnson
The following was originally published by The Washington Quarterly.
Abstract
A significant gap exists between the expectations and fears of public opinion, policymakers, and global defense communities about artificial intelligence (AI) and its actual military capabilities, particularly in the nuclear sphere. The misconceptions that exist today are largely caused by the hyperbolic depictions of AI in popular culture and science fiction, most prominently the Skynet system in The Terminator. Misrepresentations of the potential opportunities and risks of military AI can obscure constructive and crucial debate on these topics —specifically, the challenge of balancing the potential operational, tactical, and strategic benefits of leveraging AI while managing the risks posed to stability and nuclear security.
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