Pentagon’s AI Strategy Highlights US Push to ‘Maintain’ Global Technological Supremacy

The DoD released a blueprint on the accelerated adoption of artificial intelligence systems in warfare this week. The strategy’s creation is logical, given the heating up of the global race for AI supremacy, but is lacking when it comes to assurances on the technology’s ethical use in warfare, says SETA researcher Gloria Shkurti Ozdemir.

The Pentagon released a new overarching strategy on the integration of AI systems into its warfighting capabilities on Thursday, with the document focusing on the use of AI to gain what’s known as a “decision advantage” by facilitating superior battlespace awareness, adaptive force planning and application, “fast, precise and resilient kill chains,” and resilient sustainment support.

The strategy focuses on and prioritizes speed, “greater integration, transparency, and knowledge sharing across organizational boundaries,” and highlights the need for “rigorous protection measures” to prevent AI technologies’ technical vulnerabilities from being exploited.

Should We Prepare for Killer Robots?

The global debate on the use of AI in weapons has focused heavily on ethics – specifically on the prospect of removing human beings from the decision-making process when it comes to taking a person’s life. The issue has been under debate for decades, discussed not only by academics, but turning into a popular sci-fi trope, from James Cameron’s The Terminator and Paul Verhoeven’s Robocop to the British hit series Black Mirror, and Ray Bradbury’s Fahrenheit 451.

But while the 26-page DoD AI strategy paper is filled with fancy graphics and stylized photos, “ethics” is mentioned only five times, and only once in a context relevant to the abovementioned concerns:

“The Department will approach reforms with speed and responsibility: targeting identified policy revisions to improve agility, speed and capability deployment, and scalability; while upholding a steadfast commitment to lawful and ethical behavior; and protecting privacy and civil liberties,” the paper says in a section on “enterprise governance.”

This could signal one of two things: that the Pentagon’s focus on AI systems hasn’t yet reached the nightmarish visions laid out by dystopian sci-fi writers, or that the military hasn’t really given the matter much thought, just at the point where humanity’s technical and mechanical capabilities are reaching a point when the threat of effective killer robots becomes a genuine possibility.

“The primary threat linked to AI resides in its potential unethical use, which could lead to harm for civilians who are not shielded or protected,” Gloria Shkurti Ozdemir, a researcher at the SETA Foundation, a Turkiye-based policy think tank, told Sputnik.

“For instance, the concept of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) is concerning because these systems can target individuals without human control. Additionally, AI could be exploited for cyber, biological, nuclear attacks and other threats,” the researcher said.

But the true danger stemming from AI isn’t the technology, but “how it’s wielded,” according to Ozdemir. “Take drones, for example, especially in their use by the US in the Middle East. When deployed unethically, they've resulted in the loss of numerous civilian lives. Yet, if used ethically and cautiously, drones can be pivotal and effective tools in military operations.”

Accordingly, the observer believes that while ethical considerations and responsible use should be a major area of focus in determining AI’s impact, “unfortunately, the strategy does not touch upon” them at any length.

Instead, Ozdemir noted, the Pentagon’s new blueprint seems to focus on the organizational environment and improving the US military’s ability to make rapid decisions.

“The latest strategy builds upon the 2018 AI Strategy but also considers the 2020 Data Strategy,” the analyst explained. “Over the past five years, there’s been a significant increase in integrating AI into various military systems, such as autonomous systems, robotics, cybersecurity, logistics, and decision-making processes…The focus on data remains a significant concern, as seen in the latest DoD AI strategy, reflecting the ongoing importance of how data is utilized and its quality.”

The new strategy builds on the concept of Combined Joint All-Domain Command and Control (CJADC2) – a mouthful of a name and acronym whose meaning basically boils down to improving integration of military operations “across different domains for quicker decision-making and enhanced coordination among various military components,” Ozdemir said.

China is known to be working on a similar concept, known as Multi-Domain Precision Warfare (MDPW).

In fact, Ozdemir says, the Pentagon’s rollout of its new AI strategy on Thursday, combined with President Joe Biden’s executive order on artificial intelligence last Monday, are all linked to one preoccupation among American policymakers: maintaining US supremacy in a global AI race.

“There’s an ongoing AI race, not solely confined to military advancements, but also encompassing global governance, regulations, and standards. This competition doesn’t just involve the US and China; it extends to allies, albeit largely unspoken,” including the European Europe and the UK, the researcher explained.

“Hence, in this context, if the US doesn’t take significant strides, it might find itself bound by rules established by other global actors. Consequently, these recent developments indicate the US’s efforts to uphold leadership in both the military and civilian spheres of AI, aiming to maintain its superior global technological position,” Ozdemir summed up.

As for ethics, that, unfortunately, seems to be a question that will be left to academics, philosophers, and sci-fi writers, not policymakers.