The Consequences of Implementing AI in a Military and Defence Security Environment

本研究旨在回答以下研究问题：人工智能作为武器：人工智能是如何在军事(和/或国家安全)中开发、部署、实施和监控的？需要什么控制来管理负责任和/或降级使用“武器化人工智能”能力？为了探讨这些问题，研究人员正在寻求一种扎实的方法，根据战略和政策文件以及通过实践者访谈、田野调查和人种学观察从实地收集的数据来发展理论。这些方法包括参加一系列关注人工智能和国防的军事和技术活动，以及在位于塔林的北约合作网络防御卓越中心进行为期两个月的安置。通过对人工智能技术在这种环境中如何在实践中实施的洞察，研究人员希望准确地绘制安全威胁图，并分析缓解这些威胁的相对成功(例如，通过区域市场监管、军事创新政策以及发展、国家和国际规范)。这项研究与信息安全博士计划的目标一起属于EPSRC的职权范围，因为它使用跨学科方法来解释国家安全环境中的关键技术安全问题。将新兴技术置于经济、社会和政治发展的背景下，这项研究将进一步推动围绕在有争议的环境中进行人工智能启用的技术部署以及如何避免不可预见的负面后果的激烈辩论。

This research aims to answer the following research questions: AI as a weapon: how is AI developed, deployed, implemented and monitored in the military (and/or national security)? What controls are required to manage responsible and/or de-escalatory use of 'weaponised AI' capabilities? In order to approach these questions, the researcher is pursuing a grounded approach, developing theory based on strategy and policy documents as well as data gathered from the field through practitioner interviews, fieldwork and ethnographic observation. These methods involves attending a range of military and technical events looking at AI and defence, as well as a two month placement at the NATO cooperative cyber defence centre of excellence in Tallinn. By drawing insights on how AI technology is being implemented in practice in this environment, the researcher hopes to accurately map out security threats and analyse the relative success of mitigation for these threats (for example, through regional market regulation, military innovation policy, and the development, national and international norms. This research lies within EPSRC's remit alongside the goals of the information security PhD programme as it uses interdisciplinary methods to explain key technical security concerns in the national security environment. Placing emerging technology in the context of economic, social and political developments, this research will further the lively debate occurring around AI-enabled technical deployment in controversial environments, and how unforeseen negative consequences may be avoided.