Web Extra: Gilman Louie On The Global AI Warfare And Its Ethical Challenges

Who will win the coming battle between AI superpowers?

In 2018, Congress formed the independent National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence — giving it a mandate to investigate and report to Congress on how the United States should “advance artificial intelligence and machine learning” for national security.

In March of this year, the Commission released its final report to surprisingly little fanfare. Surprising, because the report makes clear that: “For the first time since World War II, America’s technological predominance — the backbone of its economic and military power — is under threat” due to international advances in AI. They add: “global crises exemplified by the COVID-19 pandemic and climate change highlight the need to expand our conception of national security and find innovative AI-enabled solutions.”

The Commission intimates that decision-makers in the US may not even fully comprehend the changes AI will bring. The report begins with what Thomas Edison said of electricity: “It is a field of fields … it holds the secrets which will reorganize the life of the world.” That encapsulates the AI future.

On today's show, we spoke about that future, its challenges and implications. During the hour, we shared a part of the conversation we had with Gilman Louie, a member of the National Security Commission on AI and former CEO of In-Q-Tel, the government’s national security venture capital arm.

In this special web exclusive, we bring you that conversation in its entirety.

Gilman Louie, commissioner on the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence. Co-founder and Partner of Alsop Louie Partners, an early-stage technology venture capital firm. (@gglouie)