The United States government created the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence (NSCAI) in 2018. Its first members were appointed by congress, the Secretary of Defense, and the Secretary of Commerce. This unelected commission had a unique task: advise the U.S. government on new technologies, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, to improve national security. As we saw with the development of nuclear weapons, it is better to be the trailblazer with new technology than be shocked by it when it is first unveiled on the battlefield. Members of the commission were instructed by congress to make America more proficient with artificial intelligence than its enemies, provide insight on how to integrate artificial intelligence into the American workforce, and develop an ethical framework with which to proceed (NSCAI). The 756-page report was released in March 2021, and it offered a thoroughly supported grim take on the United States’ ability to compete or defend itself in the new AI era.
The NSCAI consists of 15 members. This temporary and independent Federal entity was led by Eric Schmidt, who formerly served as Google’s CEO from 2001 to 2011 before becoming its Executive Chairman. Each person picked to serve on the committee was strategically selected, and each person has a unique background and approach to bring to the collection of impressive individuals. Andy Jassy is a prime example of the talent that worked on the committee, and he served as the CEO of Amazon Web Services from 2003 to 2021. He is now the CEO of Amazon (NSCAI Commissioners).
Artificial intelligence has been around for quite some time now, and it has slowly evolved alongside computers. It has only recently become relevant in our everyday lives, and this is attributable to showing neural networks immense quantities of data (Wired). Scientists’ understanding of artificial intelligence and machine learning is rapidly expanding. That lead me to question whether the lack of scientific advancement within the Department of Defense was a result of complacency, stupidity, or bureaucracy. John Hyten retired from his position as commander of U.S. Strategic Command (he was the nation’s second-highest-ranking military officer) amid deep frustration with the painfully slow bureaucratic system. He gave stern warnings about how the Pentagon’s fear of failure as well as its bureaucratic nature are causing the United States to lag behind China’s constant scientific advancement within its space and military technologies (Space News). Another government official has also expressed concern with the speed at which the U.S. military responds to technological innovation. The Pentagon’s first chief software officer, Nicolas Chaillan, resigned from his position in 2021, and his departing message was not pleasant:
“We have no competing fighting chance against China in 15 to 20 years. Right now, it’s already a done deal; it is already over in my opinion… Whether it takes a war or not is kind of anecdotal” (Reuters).
Chaillan attributes China’s forward-thinking approach to its mandates that require tech companies to work with the government. Substantial investments into artificial intelligence along with help from its most prominent tech companies have put the Chinese government ahead of the U.S. government technologically. Chaillan’s frustrations ultimately led to his departure from his government role, and his impressive resume (see it here: LinkedIn) implies that this was a serious loss for the Pentagon.
After reading parts of the executive summary that was released with the report, I found some notable excerpts that demonstrate how other countries are using artificial intelligence in dubious ways.
“Adversaries are using AI systems to enhance disinformation campaigns and cyber-attacks. They are harvesting data on Americans to build profiles of their beliefs, behavior, and biological makeup for tailored attempts to manipulate or coerce individuals. This gathering storm of foreign influence and interference requires organizational and policy reforms to bolster our resilience.”
“Prepare for future warfare. Our armed forces’ competitive military-technical advantage could be lost within the next decade if they do not accelerate the adoption of AI across their missions. This will require marrying top-down leadership with bottom-up innovation to put operationally relevant AI applications into place” (NSCAI Executive Summary).
Both of these short selections from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence’s executive summary are extremely alarming. I did not expect such a pessimistic outlook from the NSCAI or the two former government officials mentioned a few paragraphs above, but there is hope. The commission presented a set of recommendations after telling us that China is silently infiltrating the United States, and it starts with advocating for the U.S. government to increase its artificial intelligence research and development spending to $32 billion by 2026, which is more than double its current amount. It also suggests that a new body be established that exists to advise the president as decisions are made about AI-related policies. Other recommendations included changing immigration laws for AI specialists, speeding up the adoption of AI technologies within U.S. government agencies, and following the lead of the private tech sector (CNBC). In a recent 2023 interview with Schmidt, he suggested that the military should model their approach to innovation after tech companies, such as Microsoft. Schmidt has said that it is simply “great human beings inside a bad system” and that if we were to build a better warfighting system, “we would just create a tech company” (Fortune). His faith in the military is evident, and it should certainly give us belief in our nation’s ability to adapt.
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