The Age of A.I. and Our Human Future

by Henry Kissinger

The quest for reassurance and restraint will have to contend with the dynamic nature of AI. Once they are released into the world, AI-facilitated cyber weapons may be able to adapt and learn well beyond their intended targets; the very capabilities of the weapon might change as AI reacts to its environment. If weapons are able to change in ways different in scope or kind from what their creators anticipated or threatened, calculations of deterrence and escalation may turn illusory. Because of this, the range of activities an AI is capable of undertaking, both at the initial design phase and during the deployment phase, may need to be adjusted so that a human retains the ability to monitor and turn off or redirect a system that has begun to stray. To avoid unexpected and potentially catastrophic outcomes, such restraints must be reciprocal.