Four Battlegrounds: Power in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

The distribution of global power will soon dep=end on nations’ AI capabilities, posits Scharre (Army of None), vice president at the Center for a New American Security, in this no-nonsense warning. Focusing on how AI influences competition between the U.S. and China, Scharre contends that data, computing power, talent, and institutions constitute the four factors that will prove critical to how that rivalry will play out. He suggests that prestigious U.S. institutions, namely top universities and tech companies, are helping the country win the fight for talent, and he proposes that increased funding for universities would ensure the U.S. keeps its lead. To underscore the stakes, Scharre describes how China has reportedly augmented its surveillance systems with AI that can supposedly detect “Uighur facial attributes,” supporting the government’s campaign to force the ethnic minority into concentration camps. However, though AI can be used “maliciously or carelessly,” the author insists that the technology can also be used to boost “health care outcomes, economic growth, and other indicators of national well-being.” This is as much about China’s relationship with the U.S. as it is about AI, and reader interest will vary accordingly, though Scharre’s levelheaded takes distinguish this from more alarmist outings. Technophiles and technophobes alike will be challenged and enlightened. (Feb.)