New weapons and technologies continue to develop and are changing the future of war and combat. One of these technologies is artificial intelligence, which the Military Times reports the Pentagon has released a new series of directives that promised they will follow “ethical principles” and use the technology “for good, not evil”.
The military has its eye on artificial intelligence solutions to everything from data analysis to surveillance, maintenance and medical care, but before the Defense Department moves full steam ahead into an AI future, they’re laying out some ethical principles to live by.
Defense Secretary Mark Esper signed off on five guidelines in a memo released Monday,
“The United States, together with our allies and partners, must accelerate the adoption of AI and lead in its national security applications to maintain our strategic position, prevail on future battlefields, and safeguard the rules-based international order,” said Esper wrote. “AI technology will change much about the battlefield of the future, but nothing will change America’s steadfast commitment to responsible and lawful behavior.” (source)
The man who believes the US on this is an absolute fool.
There are two principles that one can apply throughout history to human barbarity. Whenever a new technology is developed, almost without fail, the first questions asked are (as demonstrated by immediate applications and formulated to their particular context):
1) How can I kill those people I hate with this?
2) How can I have relations with this?
The same applies to AI. I have already detailed the rise of “sex robots”, which directly overlap with plans to develop robots used for military purposes and infiltration.
The machine gun, poison gas, and airplane changed the world after World War I. For World War II, it was nuclear technology and rockets. For World War III, it is going to be robotics and AI that will determine the winner or loser.
That is why the US is working so frantically at it. Because a war is coming, and they are getting the AI ready for the impending conflict.
However, remember that even scientists admit they do not know fully how AI works. Take the lesson from the Terminator film series, which was that unintended consequences happen, and it was in the name “military defense” that the human race built the weapons which eventually destroyed her.