The other week I had the privilege of attending a panel-discussion event with Representative Mike Gallagher and former Google CEO Eric Schimdt on the significance of artificial intelligence (AI) and cybersecurity in today’s global security environment.  

As the Russia-Ukraine situation continues to evolve and China remains the pacing challenge to our national security, our competitors and adversaries are taking note, looking for lessons that will give them the upper hand in a future conflict. The United States military must take the appropriate lessons learned from this conflict  and apply them to our future warfighting doctrine and modernization efforts. A failure to do so will significantly elevate risk to our Joint Force and our Nation.  

Artificial Intelligence in particular stands out as the next great leap in military and national security capabilities. We continue to learn more about AI. As it evolves, AI is presenting new opportunities as well as challenges, as we grapple with the ethical and appropriate use of AI, knowing our adversaries and competitors probably are not doing the same.

Finding opportunities and addressing these concerns is not a one size fits all proposition. Governments will play a significant role, but public-private partnerships will be critical to effective applications of AI. This covers a wide range of potential utilizations, but the one that stands out the most with the greatest potential for harm is AI in the information space.

The battle over information control and manipulation is something we are seeing daily in the Ukraine-Russia conflict, as well as a key aspect of our adversaries strategies. AI is playing a significant role, in both creating and combating misinformation. Given this, and other examples, it is fair to say that if left unchecked, the ramifications will be substantial and all encompassing.

AI technology and its application is creating a new frontier for global power dynamics and national security challenges. To maintain our competitive edge over adversaries and competitors it is essential that we continue to learn, remain attune to the risks it poses to our national security and apply this to our national security strategies, our military doctrines, and our modernization efforts.