US think tank: AI could cause nuclear war by 2040

Artificial intelligence (AI) could potentially cause nuclear war by 2040, according to a research report by a US think tank. A paper by the non-profit think tank Rand Corporation warns that AI could undermine geopolitical stability and eliminate nuclear weapons as a deterrent. Rand researchers warn that while nuclear strikes have maintained peace for decades as a mutually assured destructive strategy, guarantees of stability could be eroded if AI and machine learning (ML) determine military action. In a paper based on a series of workshops with experts, the researchers said AI could enable human actors to make lethal decisions in the future. For example, improvements in sensing technology could destroy retaliatory powers such as submarines and mobile missiles.