I TRENDS Security Politics and Artificial Intelligence: Key Trends and Debates 1
| Published date | 01 June 2023 |
| DOI | http://doi.org/10.1177/00208345231182638 |
| Author | Serif Onur Bahcecik |
| Date | 01 June 2023 |
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TRENDS
Security Politics and Artificial Intelligence: Key Trends and Debates1
Dr. Serif Onur BAHCECIK
Dept. of International Relations, Middle East Technical Univers ity (METU)
https://orcid.org/0000-0003-3467-9173
Abstract:
This article delves into the academic discourse surrounding the security i mplications of artificial
intelligence (AI). It highlights the lack of consensus on what AI truly encompasses, which poses
challenges for regulating the technology. While some express concerns about the security risks
of AI, there are prop onents of ethical AI who believe in the possibility of programming the
technology to operate ethically, and supporters of AI for Good (or AI for Social Good) who see
potential for AI to address sustainable development challenges. Scholars agree that AI will have
a significant impact on global security, but they disagree on the specific mechanisms and
dimensions of this impact. Some focus on changes in the balance of power and the effectiveness
of autonomous weapons, while others highlight the tactical advantages, defensive and offensive
capabilities, and even national differences in AI development and deployment. Overall, the article
concludes that more critical studies are needed to explore how AI is already affecting security in
a broad sense.
Keywords: Defining AI, AI for Good, geopolitics of AI, autonomous weapons
Artificial Intelligen ce (AI) has become one of the buzzwords of our time. From AI-powered text
generators like ChatGPT to proliferation of “National AI Strategies” (69 at the time of writing), it
has impinged upon a broad array of security concer ns including fake news and missile defens e.
Unlike others, such as development, empowerment, or gamification, AI has attracted the attention
of experts from different disciplinary backgrounds and has become part of our daily lives. This
Trends in International Political Science article focuses on the security poli tics of AI by delving
into insights and discussions from different corners of social science. Relying on a pre-selected
set of articles, it seeks to capture the main trends in recent scholarship rather than provide a
systematic literature review. Amidst a steady increase of work on AI, this study aims to present a
snapshot of emerging tendencies in the literature.
1 I thank the reviewers for their comments on previous versions of the paper. The errors remain mine.
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