Four Battlegrounds

November 1, 2022
An intriguing study of how artificial intelligence is the new frontier for the rivalry between the U.S. and China. AI is reaching into every part of our lives, but one of its most widespread applications is largely unseen to ordinary American citizens. The U.S. military is incorporating AI into nearly every aspect of their operations, from piloting jet fighters to optimizing logistical support. At the same time, other countries, especially China, are advancing their own systems. In fact, China has made no secret of its intention to become the leading player in AI by 2030. Scharre, a former Army Ranger and vice president and director of studies for the Center for a New American Security, understands the realities of war as well as the tech side, so he is well positioned to examine this field. He has already covered some of this ground in his significant 2018 book, Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War. The author identifies four crucial areas: data collection, computing hardware, talent, and institutions. Currently, the U.S. holds the lead, but it is steadily deteriorating. Scharre delves deeply into each area, noting that fundamental differences between authoritarian China and democratic U.S. China's government-driven model provides unity of purpose and unlimited funding but restricts innovation. The American system is disaggregated and somewhat chaotic, but it attracts the best talent and is capable of radical breakthroughs. Scharre also examines how AI might change the nature of future conflicts, which may feature swarms of drones and supersmart targeting. A weakness of AI systems is that they do not respond well to changes of conditions, but this is gradually being overcome with new-generation machine learning. It is difficult to know whether to feel confident or disturbed by all this information, but Scharre effectively shows where military AI currently stands and where it is going. A solid, well-organized account of the military applications of AI and of the race to take the lead global position.

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December 19, 2022
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.

February 1, 2023
Machine learning and deep neural networks will be at the center of competition among nations and large companies going forward, according to autonomous weapons expert Scharre (Army of None, 2018). He views AI as a general purpose technology capable of myriad applications across a broad spectrum of fields. This includes the bad (surveillance and repression in China) and the good (predictive maintenance and wildfire mapping), with a million uses in between. Scharre illuminates the intersection of technology and national power and examines the history of the digital revolution, trends, and expectations for the future of AI. The titular battlegrounds for AI are data, computing power, talent, and the institutions that harness, direct, and implement them. Scharre illustrates the grand geopolitical battle for control, primarily between China and the U.S., and their uses of many forms of power that AI will enable. This study of the struggle over AI is well-written, impeccably sourced, and densely detailed. Readers knowledgeable about computer science will find it clarifying, while others will gain immense understanding of an often opaque if important subject.

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Starred review from February 1, 2023

This analysis of artificial intelligence (AI), largely focused on national security issues rather than design, discusses the challenges for the United States. Former U.S. Army Ranger Scharre (VP, New American Security; Army of None) identifies four key elements that define this struggle: data, computing power, talent, and institutions, and he includes extensive endnotes. The book shows that the United States, China, and Europe are the major world players in AI. Currently, the United States has the lead in development and implementation, with China, in a far more opaque way, close behind. The military uses it for such things as autonomous weapons, and that field is growing, but this book argues that the fear of AI running wars without human intervention is overblown. The major threat, according to Scharre, is the use of AI in authoritarian societies, where it is already being used by governments for population control, as in Chinese measures to surveil Uyghurs. The author argues that democracies must ensure that the future of AI is one that advances human freedom and global peace. VERDICT Recommended for both public and university libraries.--Edwin Burgess

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