Chinese AI labs like DeepSeek are inching closer to their US counterparts, and this could have implications beyond just the tech world.
Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt has issued a stark warning about the potential misuse of artificial intelligence by China against the United States. His assessment paints a picture of a future conflict far removed from traditional warfare, dominated instead by intelligent swarms and unimaginable cyberattacks.
“Imagine a situation where attacks that we cannot even imagine are unleashed by China in an adversarial thing,” Schmidt said at a US government hearing. “We have no concept of having a super intelligent opponent where we’re not as intelligent as they are.” He goes on to challenge conventional thinking about military might: “Everyone assumes that it’s a battle of missiles and aircraft carriers. That’s not correct. It will be a battle of swarms of drones. Those drones will be highly intelligent, highly planned, and they’ll do maneuvers that no one can anticipate. We collectively are not ready for that.”
Schmidt then shifts his focus to the development of AI-powered algorithms for military applications: “Imagine a situation where China has invented new algorithms for military attacks and defense that we cannot even conceive of.” He emphasizes the transformative power of advanced AI: “Remember I’m discussing a world where humans have a partner that is smarter than the collection of those people. As I said, this will happen in our lifetimes, and it’s important that we get there first.”
Drawing parallels to the ongoing conflict in Ukraine, Schmidt observes, “If you take a look at Ukraine, Russia right now, you see the future of war.” He then delves into the potential for devastating cyberattacks: “I’m assuming, by the way, that China would start by cyberattacks and so forth. There’s evidence that these new systems will be able to come up with zero-day exploits that we cannot foresee. A zero-day exploit is something we’ve never seen before and we can’t anticipate.” He also touches upon the potential for biological attacks: “There’s lots of people who are worried that biological attacks can be done, and there is a lot… there’s a report from the emerging biotech commission this week with great details, and there’s a classified version that all of you should take a look at. There’s plenty of evidence these things are possible.”
Schmidt’s warning carries significant implications. His scenario underscores the urgency for the US to invest heavily in AI research and development, not only for offensive capabilities but also, crucially, for defensive strategies. The potential for AI-driven attacks, particularly in the cyber realm, necessitates a paradigm shift in cybersecurity. Traditional methods of defense may be rendered obsolete against a super-intelligent adversary capable of generating unforeseen exploits. The development of AI is a global race, and falling behind could have catastrophic consequences for incumbent global powers who could see their advantages disrupted away by a transformative new technology.