Its developers borrowed from some fundamental features of GPT-3 and machine learning generally (insofar as the quality of its training data — an underappreciated but established aspect of the field — was a priority), while also making modifications that improve its performance and lower computational burdens. This was an absolutely amazing book that detailed how invasive technologies are changing the lives of people in China especially. The horse race analogy aptly captures the competition between nations in the AI domain, underscoring the global significance of this emerging battleground. Scharre marshals fact after fact to explain not just the technology, but the trends soon to unfold and remake our world.

Nations that capitalize on these four battlegrounds will hold the high ground whether they do so singly or in combination. Autonomous weapons expert Paul Scharre takes readers inside the fierce competition to develop and implement this game-changing technology and dominate the future. analysis of where we are with AI development, who the big players are, where it's being used currently, where it will be used in the future, and the places where if we are not careful it will allow major powers to use it in dangerous ways. Scharre is sensitive to overinflating any one aspect of AI — where one AI success is described, its mirrored failure is also discussed.

On the other hand, I really appreciated the specific examples of existing AI systems’ capabilities, limitations (the somersaulting soldier will stick with me!

Otherwise, Four Battlegrounds is a fantastic, oftentimes terrifying exploration of what is going on in the world of artificial intelligence. On an unrelated note, I felt like the big idea of this book (referenced in the title) was somewhat underdeveloped. It is likely the least pleasant, and most frustrating, book fitting that description that I have ever read. The levels of compute and equipment needed, furthermore, is potentially unsustainable for private AI labs, possibly shifting the burden to governments keen on harnessing AI.Scharre delves deeply into each area, noting that fundamental differences between authoritarian China and democratic U. Something that works according to how we put it in practice, but we lack the scientific rigor and verifiable knowledge to know how exactly it is done. I was surprised at the avoidance of science fiction examples, especially when the book considers problems of AI taking over human decision making. No blaring klaxons or red warning lights - just an insistent tug on the sleeve and a discreet sideways glance to the East. AI’s tools, when programmed properly, alleviate burdensome human time constraints allowing for magnitudes faster repetitions and learning when algorithms are written and released appropriately.

He believes that “any predictions” regarding AI’s maturation “should be taken with a grain of salt,” going so far as to suggest that AI can either “peter out” or “continue to mature. Scharre also examines how AI might change the nature of future conflicts, which may feature swarms of drones and supersmart targeting. Beneath it all, data, compute, talent, and institutions shape the trajectory of AI and its impact on relative national power, and constituent states in these regions are exploring new avenues for exploiting them. He also went into great detail about how China uses tactics like in 1984 - controlling the past and the future.

Falcon may be considered an early MENA case study in the manipulation of AI’s four battlegrounds within a broader geopolitical context. Other MENA states, like neighboring Oman, are taking notice of the economic knock-on effects of AI adoption, unveiling a new national economic initiative to facilitate AI adoption by governmental institutions and to increase science and technology investment opportunities. AIs will likely have the capacity to coordinate a much larger set of units, which will presumably enable new tactics.

He explores the ways AI systems are already discovering new strategies via millions of war-game simulations, developing combat tactics better than any human, tracking billions of people using biometrics, and subtly controlling information with secret algorithms. Deep fakes, bots, synthetic learning and other applications are so realistic that it’s hard to differentiate fact from fiction. Evidence from sports teams suggests that 18 is about the maximum number of people can usefully move independently. Most of those concerns assume a moderate degree of competence in the US military's efforts to adopt AI. Here's one cautionary line: "Militaries are competing to develop and field a technology that is unreliable and insecure.You have to have big data to crunch, and he covers who has access and how that is collected and analyzed. The Competition increases the drama of the discussion, especially when approaching the relationship between tech companies and governments in the West versus in the East. Scharre also throws in a few platitudes about how the US is better due to democracy, and checks and balances.