On National Security, Technology and AI

Last week, comments in the Rand Corp. report “Artificial Intelligence and Critical Infrastructure” included:

• "The growing use of AI for national security purposes ... suggests that proliferation of AI systems will continue.

• "AI-enabled technologies is not new to the Department of Homeland Security ...  they have already been incorporated into a wide variety of applications.

• " Failing to [protect AI development and security] could create potentially catastrophic vulnerabilities in the country’s critical infrastructure.

• "Despite concerns about AI, there are few policy, legal, ethical, and regulatory impediments to its development.

• "AI science and technology maturity will be based on key dependencies in several essential technology areas, including high-performance computing, advanced semiconductor development and manufacturing, robotics, machine learning, natural language processing, and the ability to accumulate and protect key data."

OUR TAKE

• As AI offerings mature, including generative AI, their use will expand in markets such as healthcare, finance, manufacturing, transportation, agriculture and energy.

• Critical infrastructures (e.g. power grids, utility environments) will benefit from advances in AI, but as these uses expand vulnerability to actions by bad actors also increase.

• AI use should improve the effectiveness and efficiency of many infrastructures. This process will likely result in disruptive economic and social outcomes as well.