How Artificial Intelligence Will Reshape the Global Order

November 2018 No Comments

“How Artificial Intelligence Will Reshape the Global Order”

Speaker: Wright, N. (Georgetown University / Intelligent Biology)

Date: 1 November 2018

Speaker Session Preview

SMA hosted a speaker session presented by Dr. Nicholas Wright (Intelligent Biology / Georgetown University) as a part of its SMA General Speaker Series. Dr. Wright first stated that artificial intelligence (AI) technologies have created a plausible new way for states to both allow their citizens to become rich and also maintain tight control over them through a traditional authoritarian model of society. He then defined a few key terms and discussed how AI could benefit political regimes. Dr. Wright proceeded to describe a traditional authoritarian model of society and explain how it is both selective and predictive in nature. He then examined the feasibility of implementing this societal model, using China as a hypothetical example. To conclude his presentation, Dr. Wright theorized that there will be a competition between authoritarian regimes and traditional liberal democracies. He emphasized how important it will be for traditional liberal democracies like the US to push back against the use of technology for authoritarian purposes and to set an example for other nations to follow. One way in which the US could do this, he explained, would be to maintain an active role in setting standards for Internet Governance.

Speaker Session Audio File

To read the Foreign Affairs article upon which this presentation is based, please visit https://www.foreignaffairs.com/articles/world/2018-07-10/how-artificial-intelligence-will-reshape-global-order [Note: You can read this article for free even if you are not a paid subscriber.]