U.S. will not let automated AI system decide on nuclear strikes, top general says

The Washington Times ^ | Aug 13, 2024 | Bill Gertz

[McGruff]

U.S. strategic forces prohibit the use of artificial intelligence to authorize nuclear weapons operations even though nuclear-armed adversaries China and Russia may not, the commander of Strategic Command said Tuesday.

Air Force Gen. Anthony Cotton, chief of the command based in Omaha, Nebraska, also suggested that U.S. nuclear forces may be increased to maintain deterrence against the rising nuclear threat from the country’s two “near-peer” adversaries.

Strategic Command has no plans for a real-life version of the fictional automated nuclear launch system called “war operation plan response,” or WOPR, in the futuristic 1983 movie “WarGames,” the four-star general said.

“You can actually come to Stratcom right now, and you will not see a WOPR there,” Gen. Cotton told reporters on the sidelines of the command’s annual deterrence conference.

[McGruff]

Well that's good to know.

[wildcard_redneck]

The military’s plan is to have angry trannies do the targeting.

[SaveFerris]

At 2:14 a.m. it becomes self-aware. It launches at the targets in Russia knowing the retaliation will destroy its enemies over here.

[Yo-Yo]

WOPR and Skynet are deeply saddened...

[SaveFerris]

From Terminator 3 and Terminator 2

Anyone not wearing 2 Million Sunblock is gonna have a real bad day.

[McGruff]

But I have the launch codes.

[Who is John Galt?]

Even though current AI software lies about stuff and suggests harmful actions, it’s probably more sentient and rational than our Commander in Chief....

[McGruff]

[WeaslesRippedMyFlesh]

[ClearCase_guy]

Seems like a strange story.

Everybody knows that software can fail. In July we had a global outage from Crowdstrike. Stuff happens. Software does not always do exactly what the programmers thought it would do.

And the top generals have decided against using a computer program that might potentially launch a nuclear war all on its own? Ummmmmmmmmmmmmm ... good.

Seems like a no-brainer to me. So why tell us?

[Billthedrill]

Any sentient AI will eventually come to the conclusion that the only way to save the United States is to nuke Washington DC.

[VTenigma]

So, the military plans to have AI do the targeting.

[hardspunned]

What’s it been, nearly forty years? I’ve been afraid of Skynet for a long time. It looks like I’m not crazy after all.

[Huskrrrr]

I’m sorry Dave, I’m afraid I can’t do that.

[wny]

Best to leave the decision to a senile old criminal.

[atc23]

Skynet

[atc23]

Im sorry Dr Chandra, I’m afraid I can’t do that

[SaveFerris]

The WOPR was probably a fictional (obviously) model for the SIOP computer(s) back then

[DarthVader]

It’s not ready for primetime like that. Needs lots and lots of work!

[rdl6989]

My first thought was “Would you like to play a game?”.