AI Will Change War, But Not in the Way You Think
Jonathan Clifford
September 2, 2019
This article was submitted in response to the call for ideas issued by the co-chairs of the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, Eric Schmidt and Robert Work. It addresses the first question (part a.) which asks how artificial intelligence will change the nature of war.
The Terminator? The Marines’ idea of a perfect rifleman. Neo in The Matrix? The Army’s concept for picture-perfect, human-machine symbiosis. R2-D2 from Star Wars? The Air Force’s dream of a loyal wingman.
However much the military might wish to take these technologies from the screen to the battlefield, the reality of artificial intelligence (AI) is far less sexy than Hollywood would have you believe. Unlike science fiction movies, which depict the technology itself as an instrument of war, AI will function primarily as an enabler. AI will change how wars are fought, but not the nature of war. War is still, and will forever be, applied violence to achieve a political goal. Like human nature itself, the fundamental qualities that define the nature of warfare are impervious to change. AI will, however, cause a shift in the character of war.
https://warontherocks.com/2019/09/ai-will-change-war-but-not-in-the-way-you-think/
