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technologyreview.com·1h ago
AI Research
arXiv CS.AI·May 26·5 min read
Beyond Killer Robots: General AI Attitudes and Public Support for Military AI in Nine Countries
TL;DR
Public attitudes towards military applications of artificial intelligence (AI) are not well understood, particularly across different countries. A survey was conducted in nine countries to assess general AI attitudes and support for military AI.
✦ Why It Matters
Understanding public sentiment on military AI can guide ethical development and deployment strategies for engineers and researchers.
Key Takeaways
- Understand how general AI attitudes influence military AI support.
- Recognize the geopolitical context affecting public opinion on military AI.
- Address concerns about fully autonomous lethal systems in discussions.
- Leverage positive perceptions of AI to foster support for military applications.
Full Summary
AI technologies are increasingly integrated into military operations, from autonomous drones to AI-assisted targeting. This study investigates public attitudes toward military AI in nine countries, including the U.S. and China, using a preregistered survey of 9,000 participants.
Findings indicate that those who perceive AI positively are more supportive of its military applications, while hawkish foreign policy views also correlate with support. Interestingly, concerns about AI risks are linked to greater support for military AI, particularly in scenarios involving less lethal applications.
However, there is notable opposition to fully autonomous lethal systems. Cross-national differences in attitudes align with geopolitical contexts, suggesting that public opinion is not uniformly negative but rather conditional, with specific concerns about lethal autonomy.