Emerging Technology and National Security: Challenges and Risks of Artificial Intelligence, Machine Learning and Autonomy

Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled capabilities have advanced considerably in the last decade and are expected to see increased employment by states and, potentially, non-state actors in the ensuing years. Case in point: 20 years ago, China was spending very little on Artificial Intelligence (AI) research, and the U.S was leading the world in AI. Now, China has surged well ahead of other nations in AI. Is the U.S. rising to this challenge with the necessary budgetary response for AI?

Dr. Margaret Kosal, Associate Professor of the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs, will discuss differing geopolitics, capacities and rhetoric of global AI competitors like Russia and China. She will explore how political and security factors surrounding the research and development of AI-enabled capabilities interact and the implications for national security. The widespread emphasis on the importance of AI globally, especially in the context of military capabilities and balance of power, is uncontested politically, and at the same time, it is also an area in need of more investigation and better understanding.