Will artificial intelligence undermine nuclear stability?

Edward Geist is an associate policy analyst at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND... Andrew J. Lohn is an engineer at the nonprofit, nonpartisan RAND Corporation. Artificial intelligence and nuclear war have been fiction clichés for decades. Today's AI is impressive to be sure, but specialized, and remains a far cry from computers that become self-aware and turn against their creators. At the same time, popular culture does not do justice to the threats that modern AI indeed presents, such as its potential to make nuclear war more likely even if it never exerts direct control over nuclear weapons. Russian President Vladimir Putin recognized the military significance of AI when he declared in September that the country that leads in artificial intelligence will eventually rule the world.