Kari A. Bingen, Secretary of Defence for Intelligence, claims the US risks losing the artificial intelligence (AI) arms race to China and Russia after a report published on Wednesday by a former deputy US secretary of defence warned that the US military must now decide if it wants to “lead the coming revolution, or fall victim to it”.
The expert revealed the US do not have the airman and analysts to watch 180,000 objects in space.
The Pentagon’s intelligence chief went on to add: ”It’s a no-brainer, we have to be investing.”
Former deputy US Secretary of Defence, Robert Work, said in the report that the White House and Pentagon must determine if the US will ramp up research and development in technologies associated with artificial intelligence including advanced computing, artificial neural networks, big data, machine learning, unmanned systems and robotics.
Advances in AI are allegedly going to define future warfare as the report published by CNN went on to say: “Developing more effective training systems, improving intelligence gathering and analysis, building more advanced automated weapons and creating fully-unmanned combat operations.”
Mr Works warning comes after recent advancements by Russia and China to put AI development at the centre of their future military planning.
The Russian President, Vladimir Putin, believes that the country with the best artificial intelligence “will become the ruler of the world”.
Russian state media has reported the military is now developing drones, vehicles, robots and cruise missiles that would be able to make decisions on their own.
China is also spending billions of dollars to surpass the US as the world leader in AI by 2030.
Back in July, China unveiled a detailed roadmap outlining a national plan to prioritise the application of AI and lead the world in new technology, which is posed to guide both commercial and military development.
US billionaire Eric Schmidt said: “I’m assuming our [US] lead will continue over the next five years and the China will catch up extremely quickly.”
He went on to add: “By 2020, they will have caught up. By 2025, they will be better than us. By 2030, they will dominate the industries.”
Donald Trump’s 2018 budget request slashed funds for basic science and research by roughly £3.2billion ($4.3 billion)
Mr Schmidt said: “It feels, as an American, that we are fighting this conflict with one hand behind our back.
The American software engineer also criticised Trump’s immigration policies that would close America’s doors to smart students, researchers, and entrepreneurs who want to come study and start companies.
He said: “Let’s talk about immigration. Shockingly, some of the very best people in AI are in countries that we won’t let into America.
“Would you rather have them building AI somewhere else or would you have them building here?
“Iran produces some of the top computer scientists in the world. I want them here. I want them working for Alphabet and Google. It’s crazy not to let these people.”