Recent developments in artificial intelligence (AI) suggest that this emerging technology will have a deterministic and potentially transformative influence on military power, strategic competition, and world politics more broadly. After the initial surge of broad speculation in the literature related to AI this article provides some much needed specificity to the debate. It argues that left unchecked the uncertainties and vulnerabilities created by the rapid proliferation and diffusion of AI could become a major potential source of instability and great power strategic rivalry. The article identifies several AI-related innovations and technological developments that will likely have genuine consequences for military applications from a tactical battlefield perspective to the strategic level.
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No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Notes on contributor
Dr James Johnson is a visiting fellow with the School of History & International Relations, University of Leicester. James holds a Ph.D. in politics & international relations and a master’s degree in Asia-Pacific studies. He has published widely in the following areas: security and strategic studies; US-China relations; ‘rising powers’; weapons non-proliferation and arms-control; emerging military-technologies; Chinese military doctrine; and East-Asia security more broadly defined. James’s latest research projects look at ‘new’ security challenges posed by developments in emerging technology – especially artificial intelligence. Dr Johnson is the author of “The U.S.-China Military & Defense Relationship during the Obama Presidency” (2018) with Palgrave Macmillan. James is fluent in Mandarin.
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