Artificial Intelligence, Warfare, and Bias – PRIO Blogs

When you think about Artificial Intelligence (AI) and war, you might find yourself thinking about killer robots, like those we have seen in movies such as The Terminator. In reality, AI and warfare looks quite different from these popularized images, and today we see many countries around the world exploring the use of AI and implementing AI systems into their militaries and defense programs. With this increased interest in AI, there has also been a growing debate about the ethics and legality of using AI in warfare. While there are many concerning aspects about AI being utilized in warfare, one that is particularly troubling, but has also received less attention, is that of biased AI systems. Certain lessons can be learnt by looking at examples of biased AI in non-military settings. It has become increasingly clear from a number of investigations and studies that the biases that exist within our society will also become embedded into AI.