Artificial Intelligence (AI) is no longer an imaginary future, instead it has embraced our everyday life. Together with massive technological transformation, developments in artificial intelligence are challenging traditional perspectives, boundaries, methods and are promising enhanced efficiency and effectiveness in the different fields (United Nations Interregional Crime and Justice Research Institute, Artificial Intelligence Collection 2020). There are numerous definitions of Artificial Intelligence, starting from science and engineering , ending with ethics, human agency. Broadly speaking, AI refers to intelligent machines, especially intelligent computer programs, cognatic machines designed for real-world problem solving, in other worlds building algorithms that imitate humans reasoning, the way people think (Ertel 2018). Artificial intelligence today is properly known as weak AI and strong AI.
A Weak AI also called as Narrow AI or Artificial Narrow Intelligence (ANI)—is designed to perform special tasks, it drives most of the AI that surrounds us today (e.g., only facial recognition or only internet searches or only driving a car) (Lu et al 2018). Strong AI, on the other hand, is regarded as a theoretical form of AI, made up of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI). Artificial general intelligence (AGI), or general AI, is a machine that would have an intelligence equaled to humans; it would have a self-aware consciousness that has the ability to solve problems, learn, and plan for the future (IBM Cloud Education 2020). In the long term, an important question is what will happen if the quest for strong AI succeeds and an AI system becomes better than humans at all cognitive tasks.
The benefits and advantages of AI applications are being discussed widely. AI and robots are somehow associated with the reduction in human error that means with Artificial intelligence, the decisions are taken from the previously gathered information applying a certain set of algorithms. This scheme reduces errors and increases the chance of reaching accuracy with a greater degree of precision; AI Robots open possibilities to overcome many risky limitations of human activities, for instance, it can be used effectively in any kind of natural or man-made disasters, in the situations where human intervention can be hazardous. Moreover, AI Robots can help in digital assistance activities, interact with users which save the need for human resources. Decision-making process is meant to be faster by using AI because Humans generally analyze many factors both emotionally and it takes a significant time, while AI-powered machine works on what it is programmed and delivers the results in a faster way.
However, we can’t avoid the fact that the disruptive nature of these technologies is very real. AI can be programmed in a way to do something devastating. For example, autonomous weapons are artificial intelligence systems that are programmed to kill. In the hands of the wrong person, these weapons could easily cause mass casualties. Moreover, an AI arms race could inadvertently lead to an AI war that also results in mass casualties.
AI from International Relations’ perspective
Beyond technological, social, economic impact, AI has gained a particular importance in international relations due to its multidimensionality. Several states have already initiated AI policy and started to manage their international relations accordingly. For example, China has already introduced an AI foreign policy toolbox and has its “New Generation Plan” to be the world leader in AI by 2030, Chinese bureaucrats, politicians, researchers have already considered AI as an assistant in their everyday decision-making process that can give inputs, suggestions and recommendations within a very short time-frame. Apart from that, China is attempting to incorporate robots and AI-powered strategy into its military. Countries such as Canada, Russia and the United States are also active players in AI realm. The government of Canada has invested C125$ million in the Pan-Canadian Artificial Intelligence Strategy by setting up a research congregation in Montreal, Toronto and Edmonton to nourish Canada’s edge in AI (Diplomatist 2020). According to Russian government, the dominance and future rule of the world would be determined by AI, “Whoever leads in AI will rule the world” (RT, Putin to Russian children on Knowledge Day,” 2017).
For this purpose, the government of Russia adopted the National Strategy for the Development of Artificial Intelligence in 2019 that aims to make Russia one of the countries that matters in this area (Russia in the Race for Artificial Intelligence 2020). Alongside, U.S. is also advancing itself in AI race. Following the U.S department’s Strategic Plan of Information Technology for 2017-2019, American diplomats are using powerful AI technology in order to make policy changes, enhance transparency and promote awareness.
The above-mentioned developments suggest that countries have already engaged in direct geopolitical competition. AI has already shaped the national and international governance frameworks considering that it deals with policy-making, public diplomacy, bilateral and multilateral engagement, information gathering and analysis. In international diplomacy, AI has a role to play in international security, use of autonomous weapon systems, monitoring of concluded agreements, military power such as cyber-security, threat monitoring and warfare. Great powers like the U.S, Russia and China have already begun to pursue AI strategies by competing against each other and other nations that could possibly disrupt the balance of power in the world. AI dominated world is very real and it suggest to produce more inequalities between the so called Global North and Global South than it is now. Dependency on AI advanced countries would not give a way to the developing countries to further compete but rather to follow the given path.
In the past year, the possibility of the use of AI for malicious purposes – as well as the abuse by criminal groups of existing AI systems used by business or public bodies – has become ever more real, with substantial and worrisome developments taking place. Russia is one of the malicious and threat actors at international realm which has been organizing numerous cyber crimes so far including but not only denial of service attacks, hacker attacks, dissemination of disinformation and propaganda (Insights, “how new internet laws and nationalism fuels Russian cybercrime”). Certainly, AI has the potential to hyperpower Russia’s use of disinformation—the intentional spread of false and misleading information for the purpose of influencing politics and societies.
Another growing threat is the malicious use of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) – commonly known as drones. Although their use is principally through manual remote operation and does not fully leverage AI, the advancing capabilities of AI may soon lead to greater autonomy. To date, drones have been used with improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in attacks by non-State actors in conflict zones, such as Syria, Iraq and Ukraine, to disrupt operations at airports, such as Gatwick Airport in the United Kingdom in December 2018 (UNICRI “Towards Responsible AI 2020).
Whatever the future progress, the AI asymmetric warfare is present. There’s the need, more than ever, to advance Multilateralism and international cooperation in order to develop AI regulations within the scope of international law. However, there’s more than that. Societies around the world need to be prepared for changes, inclusive and cohesive policy is required to advance understanding of the change on the horizon and how communities concerned and society as a whole can prepare for it. At the same time, it is also imperative that we better understand how to protect human rights and fundamental freedoms that must be the very foundation upon the AI framework. If AI fails to meet all of these, the implications will be far reaching, impacting the lives of individuals and undermining public trust in authorities.
References
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By Nino Zotikishvili: The European Institute for International Law and International Relations.
