On July 18, the Cyber, Information Technologies, and Innovation Subcommittee (CITI) held a hearing to discuss the use of artificial intelligence on the battlefield. U.S. Representative Mike Gallagher (R-WI), Chairman of Subcommittee, delivered the opening remarks at the hearing.

"The CCP if they win this competition, or win the AI component of this competition, will likely use that technology for evil as a way of perfecting its oppressive totalitarian surveillance state as well as exploring that model around the world, whereas we in the west, we in the free world, at least have a chance of using that for good," Gallagher said in his opening remarks. 

Witnesses for the hearing included Alexandr Wang, CEO of ScaleAI, Klon Kitchen, nonresident senior fellow at the American Enterprise Institute and Dr. Haniyeh Mahmoudian of DataRobot.

During his testimony, Wang said that China, more than the U.S., recognizes the importance of global AI leadership and has been outspending the U.S. in AI investments since at least 2020. According to Wang, this year, China is projected to spend approximately three times as much on AI investments compared to the U.S. Adjusted for total military budget, China is spending roughly ten times on AI what the US does. 

"The country that is able to most rapidly and effectively integrate new technology in warfighting wins," Wang said. "If we don't win on AI, we risk ceding global influence, technological leadership and democracy to strategic adversaries like China."

In his testimony, Kitchen discussed the growing near-term threat of AI-enhanced misinformation campaigns and cyberattacks. AI can be used to create convincing synthetic data that can be used to undermine trust in institutions, and disrupt democratic processes reliant on informed decision-making. AI-powered systems can autonomously scan and attack vulnerabilities in computer networks and software at an unprecedented pace and AI algorithms can learn and adapt to countermeasures, making them harder to adapt to. 

"In a world where we are already overwhelmed by online threats, generative AIs will soon pour gas on these fires," Kitchen said. 

During her testimony, Dr. Mahmoudian explained that while AI may have transformative potential for military applications, it is important that the US military adhere to legal and ethical guidelines as it deploys AI for military applications to ensure accountability and protect civil liberties. 

"It is vital to establish ethical frameworks and comprehensive governance processes that ensure effectiveness, reliability and human oversight," Dr. Mahmoudian said.

According to a release from the U.S Department of State, an increasing trend has been observed among numerous states as they ramp up the development of artificial intelligence capabilities for military purposes. The emphasis is on ensuring that such use of this technology is ethical, and aids in bolstering international security. The release states that it is of vital importance that AI's application in warfare aligns with the tenets of international humanitarian law, and that a robust human line of command is maintained within military operations.

The approach to leveraging AI in the military demands meticulous evaluation of associated benefits and risks, according to the release. It is incumbent upon states to adopt suitable measures that encourage development and utilization of military AI capabilities in a responsible way, says the release. Furthermore, these measures should encompass the entire life cycle of such capabilities, from inception to deployment and beyond.

Bill Drexel, from the Center for a New American Security previously told Federal Newswire that the outlook on artificial intelligence and its uses vary between nations. “In open societies we generally have the advantage in what's called Generative AI, tools that can create things like art [and] free expression. Where the Chinese excel is in surveillance technology, image and voice recognition, these sorts of tools where the government is especially interested in cashing in on the revolution,” Drexel said. “When China took its autocratic turn under Xi Jinping the tech went with it, and that's really when things started taking off in terms of a lot of these technologies being let loose throughout China and increasingly around the world.”