James Owen, technology journalist for MIT Technology Review, has highlighted three issues surrounding AI adoption in the American military.
The US military has recently deployed generative AI to conduct intelligence and surveillance in the Pacific, via chatbot-style interfaces.
However, AI safety experts have raised alarms about whether large language models are reliable for analysing highly sensitive geopolitical intelligence.
Furthermore, the generative AI is inching toward not just analysing data, but suggesting actions, such as target lists for strikes.
This presents the question of to what extent “human in the loop” can prevent potential misuse of AI.
There are also questions about the appropriateness of data classification given the potential for AI to join up thousands of data points to draw new conclusions.
Finally, as AI becomes more capable and widespread, it is increasingly being used to inform high-level decision-making in the military, raising questions of how far up the chain AI should go.
These issues will be closely monitored, and any updates will likely be reported.