ON AI AND NUCLEAR WEAPONS
By Jason Sibert
While technology has allowed mankind to live lives only imagined by humans a few generations ago, the new technology of artificial intelligence brings challenges that can be solved by creative arms control.
Scientists have noted that Russia has already developed a nuclear torpedo, called Status-6, embedded with AI. The same scientists also worry that this could be a trend of more nations wanting these weapons. If other countries feel inferior because they don’t have such a weapon, they may try to acquire one to balance Russia’s power.
AI is intelligence embedded into machines. Such technology could be used to automate much of today’s work and allow more creativity and free time than allowed today. However, technology is not perfect nor does it liberate in every situation. A Cold War incident in 1983 comes to mind. Soviet officer, Lt. Col. Stanislav Petrov, had to ignore audio-visual warnings that US missiles were inbound. Petrov was able to defy ‘automation bias’ and correctly identify that the warnings were false, potentially saving the US and Soviet Russia from nuclear war.
In some instances, AI might be able to secure nuclear weapons and keep them safer, but some have said the technology could turn on humans – just like in the famed “Terminator” science fiction films. If the technology does turn on us, then a nuclear war is more probable. Imagine any nation-state’s nuclear weapons going off and triggering a reaction by other nation-states.
The obvious answer to the problem is to ban the mixture of AI and nuclear arms. The obstacle to such arms control measures is the geopolitical divides between the US, China, Russia, and others keep us from forming a united block to enforce any sort of international law that emerges.
As various forms of right-wing nationalism rage across the globe in countries as diverse as Turkey, the US, India, France, and Russia, we forget the security needs of our own country and of the world in general. Our world would be safer without this deadly mix of AI and nuclear weapons and really without nuclear weapons period. Can we look at what divides us as a planet? Or will we dwell on our differences?
Jason Sibert is the Executive Director of the Peace Economy Project
