Philosopher Kings or New-Age Militarists? - TomDispatch.com

Philosopher Kings or New-Age Militarists? - TomDispatch.com Philosopher Kings or New-Age Militarists? Silicon Valley and the Rush Toward Automated Warfare By William D. Hartung Venture capital and military startup firms in Silicon Valley have begun aggressively selling a version of automated warfare that will deeply incorporate artificial intelligence (AI). Those companies and their CEOs are now pressing full speed ahead with that emerging technology, largely dismissing the risk of malfunctions that could lead to the future slaughter of civilians, not to speak of the possibility of dangerous scenarios of escalation between major military powers. The reasons for this headlong rush include a misplaced faith in “miracle weapons,” but above all else, this surge of support for emerging military technologies is driven by the ultimate rationale of the military-industrial complex: vast sums of money to be made.