It is witnessed by almost every individual, how tactics of warfare have evolved over time. In the early ages man used to fight with sticks, stones, and swords, then discovered ways to use gunpowder in wars, afterward developed more modern weapons and some decades back deadliest weapons like nuclear weapons. Wars have been fought throughout history to gain resources or to expand territory. There were several other reasons as well such as religion, ideologies, etc. There has been a constant race between states to gain more power and rule the world according to them. To achieve their objectives, leaders wage wars. Modern weapons are designed for this purpose to have an upper hand over the enemy. With time these things are changing because if we look at the past, distance mattered a lot, no one was answerable to anyone, and there were no organizations like the present-day UN. Till today leaders want to achieve their goals, but with time, the tactics have evolved.
In today’s world, wars are fought with different means. This era is also named as “information era” by some scholars, where the adversary takes advantage by getting, leaking or misinterpreting the enemy’s data/information. With the introduction of computer and internet, people found out ways to utilize this technology in wars and small or large conflicts. Either a state or a non-state actor, all have the equal opportunity to conduct an attack. Today if a state uses the military against another, can face economic sanctions and diplomatic setbacks. Without this, a state can survive but it’s difficult for her to prosper. Now states go for economic and cyberwarfare. From any region of the world, an attack can be conducted with the help of cyber weapons. One does not need to have a missile or modern weapons and if they want to hide their identity it’s also very easy.
Artificial intelligence is also very important regarding this topic. It is widely used in every field nowadays, especially in weapons and mobile phones influencing politics, the economy, and the military. AI-driven autonomous weapons systems can make decisions very quickly. They may range from drones to autonomous submarines or robots, helping humans in everyday life and in times of war or crisis. AI can assist humans in making decisions at national and international levels and helps in studying transportation. AI will improve medical diagnostics; robots will be able to do operations better than humans.
It is feared that an AI arms race will start all over the world. Economically strong countries will develop more sophisticated weapons and machinery, which will create a sense of fear in neighboring states, and they will try to compete with them. The states with more developed technology will have the leverage to conduct cyber-attacks against others and leak or misinterpret their information. It will be very easy to spread propaganda and use people against their state. We can see superpowers have advanced AI capabilities, so developing nations must struggle more, otherwise in the future their survival will be endangered. If not managed properly it can lead to chaos in society. AI can also lead to unemployment, but if people are well-trained, it is not a big deal for them to make their place in the future.
As with every other thing, AI also has advantages and disadvantages. It depends on us now how we are going to use it. AI is a great invention and can-do wonders but also raises several ethical questions. This technology can be hacked and misused. The government needs to make proper laws. A committee should be established to monitor the use of AI in all sectors. Laws should be made worldwide to prevent an AI arms race. Agreements should be signed with different countries to educate people on this emerging technology and to protect their privacy. AI should be trained or developed to enhance human well-being.