{"id":19314,"date":"2023-12-06T21:17:34","date_gmt":"2023-12-06T15:47:34","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/current_affairs\/?p=19314"},"modified":"2023-12-18T11:56:15","modified_gmt":"2023-12-18T06:26:15","slug":"nuclear-weapons-and-artificial-intelligence","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/editorial-analysis\/06-12-2023\/nuclear-weapons-and-artificial-intelligence","title":{"rendered":"Nuclear Weapons and Artificial Intelligence"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p><strong>Syllabus: GS2\/ Government Policies &amp; Interventions, GS3\/ Nuclear Technology<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">In Context<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>All current discussions on the <strong>geopolitics of Artificial Intelligence<\/strong> inevitably recall the <strong>nuclear experience.&nbsp;<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table class=\"has-background\" style=\"background-color:#ebecf0\"><tbody><tr><td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Artificial intelligence<\/strong><br><\/span>&#8211; It is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs.&nbsp;<br>&#8211; It is related to the similar task of using computers to understand human intelligence, but AI does not have to confine itself to biologically observable methods.<br><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Significance<\/span><\/strong><br>&#8211; AI would not replace people but create new opportunities in various fields.&nbsp;<br>&#8211; It works on data, and if we could train our machines, it could do wonders for us in milliseconds by automating processes.&nbsp;<br>&#8211; AI is creating new opportunities which could not be achieved by traditional technology.<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Relatability of AI development with Nuclear Power<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Although nuclear and AI are very different, there are similarities too.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Role of Consequences:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The nuclear revolution was revealed to the world by the <strong>use of atomic bombs <\/strong>against Hiroshima and Nagasaki in August 1945.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The <strong>enormous destructive power<\/strong> and its <strong>horrendous consequences<\/strong> compelled statesmen and scientists to consider ways to limit the threats to the survival of humanity in the nuclear age.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>The AI revolution threatens an even bigger catastrophe \u2014<strong> machines taking over from humanity<\/strong> and enslaving them.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The broader impact of the AI revolution is likely to be far more sweeping.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Promise to transform:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>While nuclear technology never lived up to its economic promise of \u201cdelivering electricity too cheap to meter\u201d, AI promises to transform the economy, society and polity in fundamental ways.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Challenge of governance:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Many of the issues that animate AI governance today are similar to those the world faced at the dawn of the nuclear age.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>These challenges include:\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Managing the impact of this new technology on geopolitical rivalry among the great powers,&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Erecting a firewall between the use and abuse of these technologies and&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Creating international norms and institutions to govern its use.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Call for a \u2018control\u2019:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>As in the nuclear age, many today <strong>demand a ban on military uses of AI<\/strong> or at least<strong> a \u201cfreeze\u201d on research and development<\/strong> until there is a better assessment of the technology at hand.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Like in the nuclear era, there is growing interest in<strong> promoting \u201carms control\u201d agreements <\/strong>between the great powers.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Creation of a bipolar world:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If the US and the Soviet Union \u2014 the superpowers of the post-War world \u2014 dominated the discourse on nuclear weapons, Washington and Beijing do the same in the AI arena today.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is no surprise that US-China agreements on AI are viewed as <strong>critical for the management of the new technological revolution<\/strong>.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Regulation of AI:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>There is talk of<strong> international norms <\/strong>to manage the potential negative consequences of the AI revolution.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>One such initiative is the GPAI or the Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence which has 28 members.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India is hosting the Global Partnership for Artificial Intelligence (GPAI) summit in <strong>Delhi<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Some have proposed the setting up of an \u201cInternational Agency for Artificial Intelligence\u201d (IAAI), much like the<strong> International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA)<\/strong> that was set up in 1957 to regulate the uses of nuclear energy.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Other challenges of AI<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>The challenge &amp; fears of unknown:<\/strong><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The biggest challenge in achieving this balance is that no one knows for certain what\u2019s going to happen next with AI.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There are widespread fears. These <strong>range from apocalyptic scenarios<\/strong> such as AI posing an existential threat to humans, to <strong>more immediate fears<\/strong>, which include<strong> developing deepfakes <\/strong>that can be used to spread misinformation, create identity theft tools, more effective cyberattacks and automate tasks that are currently done by humans.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><strong>Difficulty to control:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>This technology is evolving so fast that stakeholders are falling behind miserably when it comes to putting safeguards.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>There have been calls to pause AI development to give time for governments and industry players to come up with guardrails.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>But the horse has already bolted, and at a good speed. There is competition between governments, universities and companies, all seeking to advance the technology, so it will be impossible to impose a worldwide moratorium.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Lack of regulations:<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>It is clear that there is a <strong>global race for AI dominance<\/strong>. Nations across the world are investing heavily in AI research, development, and deployment.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>While healthy competition can drive innovation, an unregulated race can lead to a<strong> fragmented landscape<\/strong> where standards, ethics, and accountability fall by the wayside.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>Unregulated AI <strong>can also deepen social inequalities i<\/strong>n addition to posing <strong>threats to privacy and civil liberties<\/strong>.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><strong><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\">Suggestions for India &amp; way ahead<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>The agenda of reforming India\u2019s technology sector is at once <strong>large and urgent<\/strong>.\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>Unlike in the nuclear domain, India does not have the luxury of taking things easy until it\u2019s too late in the AI domain.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>It is important for India to <strong>build on the current momentum<\/strong> in the partnership with the <strong>US <\/strong>on AI and other critical and emerging technologies.&nbsp;<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li>India needs to <strong>move on multiple policy fronts <\/strong>quickly to raise its position in the global AI hierarchy.<\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><strong>Building strong domestic capabilities in AI <\/strong>is critical to making the best out of international cooperation. That, in turn, calls for a <strong>larger role for the private sector.<\/strong>\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li>If technological progress in the second half of the 20th century \u2014 especially in nuclear and space \u2014 were <strong>led by governments<\/strong>, it is the private sector that is leading <strong>AI research, development and innovation<\/strong> in the West.&nbsp;<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-table\"><table><tbody><tr><td><span style=\"text-decoration: underline;\"><strong>Daily Mains Question<\/strong><br><\/span><strong>[Q] <\/strong>Analyze the similarities between the geopolitics of Artificial Intelligence and nuclear Power. Why is it important for India to \u2018not\u2019 repeat its nuclear weapons mistakes with AI?<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-buttons is-layout-flex wp-block-buttons-is-layout-flex\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-button\"><a class=\"wp-block-button__link wp-element-button\" href=\"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/12\/Daily-Editorial-Analysis-6-12-2013-2.pdf\">Download PDF<\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Syllabus: GS2\/ Government Policies &amp; Interventions, GS3\/ Nuclear Technology In Context Artificial intelligence&#8211; It is the science and engineering of making intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs.&nbsp;&#8211; It is related to the similar task of using computers to understand human intelligence, but AI does not have to confine itself to biologically observable methods.Significance&#8211; AI would [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":4,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[22],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-19314","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-editorial-analysis"],"acf":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19314","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/4"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=19314"}],"version-history":[{"count":3,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19314\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":19711,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/19314\/revisions\/19711"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=19314"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=19314"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.nextias.com\/ca\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=19314"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}