The real reasons to be terrified about AI and WMD

Artificial intelligence is already transforming warfare, whether it’s waged by missile, drone or satellite; on land or sea, or in the air, space or cyberspace. Perhaps the most terrifying prospect, though, is what awaits us when AI properly meets weapons of mass destruction, especially the diabolical trifecta of nuclear, biological and chemical arms. The question inevitably conjures frightening scenarios in a chaotic world that is already roiled by wars in Europe, the Middle East and elsewhere; by disinformation and polarization within societies; by new diseases spreading from animals to humans and then among people; by terrorists and nonstate militias joining nation-states as belligerents; and by countries modernizing and increasing their nuclear arsenals, as the last treaties to control these weapons expire or slide into irrelevance. With your current subscription plan you can comment on stories. However, before writing your first comment, please create a display name in the Profile section of your subscriber account page.