MITRE Statement to the Defense Innovation Board's Project on AI Principles
Abstract
First, wed like to thank the Defense Innovation Board for the opportunity to briefly touch on the ethical considerations for military application of artificial intelligence. The MITRE Corporation is deeply committed both to ethical approaches to modern warfare and to enabling our Service men and women to have at hand the best technology available to protect them and to help them achieve their mission. Artificial intelligence clearly impacts both of those commitments. AI is a key emerging technology that will enable the Joint Force to fight and win future wars. Yet for several reasons, the Department has struggled to field relevant capabilities leveraging this technology. Some of these reasons revolve around AIs being developed largely in the commercial sector for consumer applications. Some revolve around technical challenges with dirty data and complex system dynamics. Some however revolve around ethical concerns related to AI weapons and military decision making. Clearly, the Departments integration of AI into military operations must be done in a manner consistent both with our countrys ethics and the laws of warfare. We believe however that from an ethical perspective, AI is similar to a host of technologies that have preceded it and that have been fielded and used in ethical ways. In fact, we believe integrating AI into military systems and operations can help to reduce civilian casualties while providing our troops a critical military advantage.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Technical Report
- Publication Date
- Jan 01, 2019
- Accession Number
- AD1108124
Entities
People
- Eliahu Niewood
Organizations
- MITRE Corporation