The AI buildout has not just captured the attention of the biggest technology companies in the world, but also the global superpowers, including the US and China in particular. The growth of this technology, which is still nascent, is seen as not just a competitive advantage for domestic businesses, but a fundamental development that can be harnessed to dominate the world stage in the future.
“Artificial intelligence is the future, not only for Russia, but for all humankind. It comes with colossal opportunities, but also threats that are difficult to predict. Whoever becomes the leader in this sphere will become the ruler of the world.”
AI prescience
The Russian president, Vladimir Putin, was speaking to Russian students shortly after Google scientists published their seminal study that outlined the transformer architecture that defines modern AI systems.
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His comments came in the context of national security and the balance of geopolitical power, with many world leaders long understanding that AI would be at the heart of not just commercial technologies but military capabilities.
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His thoughts also balanced the notion of benefits that may arise with the threats, both by humans wielding AI tools as well as from the AI systems themselves. Elon Musk, for example, had previously highlighted the idea that AI could lead to a third world war.
Modern warfare
It’s become increasingly clear just how prominent the role of AI and autonomous weapons is playing in international conflicts nearly ten years on, including in the Russian invasion of Ukraine in 2022 — and the battles that have ensued since.
Geopolitically, both the US and China are also each defining their own AI strategy, with both nations desperately building out their capabilities in a way that ensures dominance while respecting and maintaining ongoing international trade and commerce.
Although the technology hasn’t reached the point where one single country or superpower can dominate the era to come, the US has begun strategically restricting the release of AI models, like Mythos, on the basis that they’re becoming too powerful to get into the wrong hands.
