Vladimir Putin said in 2017 that whoever becomes the leader in artificial intelligence "will be the ruler of the world." Nearly six years later, the defense industry is developing more AI applications that are shaping the way geopolitical conflicts are fought — but the debate around its ethics are intensifying. Through almost every aspect of national security, including on-the-ground battles and cybersecurity, AI applications are being developed to assist decision-making and analytics.
It [is] just meant as a capability multiplier, supplementary tool," said Sakraida. Work also emphasized that the Department of Defense's policy is that in the case of potential lethal force, the situation can only be controlled by human judgment, not by a machine. "The Department of Defense doesn't make any bones that these machines sometimes will make mistakes. But generally, they make fewer mistakes than humans do," said Work.