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Lesson 9 Flashcards

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1
Q

What is the central question in Fischer’s chapter on technology and grand strategy?

A

Whether great powers can shape technological change for strategic goals, or if technology acts independently as a constraint or enabler.

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2
Q

How does Fischer define technological change?

A

As invention, innovation, or diffusion that increases output without more input. It is the main driver of long-term economic growth. (Fischer et. al.)

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3
Q

What is one way technological change affects global politics? (Fischer)

A

It creates new strategic opportunities by expanding the technological frontier. (Fischer et. al.)

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4
Q

How does technological change have distributional effects? (Fischer)

A

Some technologies build on existing skills (competence-enhancing), others make old skills useless (competence-destroying). (Fischer et. al.)

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5
Q

How does technological change challenge offense-defense theory? (Fischer)

A

It shows that technology is not constant across countries, which affects the balance between offensive and defensive power.(Fischer et. al.)

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6
Q

Can technological change be part of great power competition? (Fischer)

A

Yes. It can be exogenous (arising from science) or endogenous (strategically driven by states). (Fischer)

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7
Q

Why is technological change uncertain, according to Fischer et al.?

A

Fischer et al. point out that its timing, direction, and impact are unpredictable, making adoption risky for states.

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8
Q

What role do complementary assets play in technological change, according to Fischer et al.?

A

Fischer et al. argue that success with new technology depends on having infrastructure, skills, and other supporting elements.

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9
Q

How does technology affect the sources of grand strategy, according to Fischer et al.?

A

Fischer et al. say it reshapes strategic needs, domestic coalitions, and prevailing ideas—like how the printing press changed Europe.

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10
Q

How do Fischer et al. describe the impact of technology on strategic goals?

A

Fischer et al. state that it can shift national independence, shape domestic politics, and even render old goals irrelevant.

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11
Q

According to Fischer et al., how does technological change influence strategic instruments?

A

Fischer et al. highlight effects on economic resources, military power, and uncertainty about a technology’s effectiveness.

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12
Q

What are the direct effects of grand strategy on technology, according to Fischer et al.?

A

Fischer et al. give examples like the US Offset Strategies, where military needs drove nuclear and stealth tech development.

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13
Q

What are the indirect effects of grand strategy on technology, according to Fischer et al.?

A

Fischer et al. show how military tech, like sonar or missile subs, led to civilian advances like ocean science and satellite systems.

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14
Q

How can grand strategy promote or hinder tech growth, according to Fischer et al.?

A

Fischer et al. say military investment can lead to spin-offs (e.g., the internet), but may also hurt civilian innovation by shifting talent and funding.

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15
Q

What is Fischer et al.’s final argument about technology in global politics?

A

Fischer et al. conclude that economics, politics, and technology are deeply interconnected and deserve more scholarly focus in IR.

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16
Q

What does Schmidt say is transforming the international security environment?

A

Schmidt highlights the convergence of intensifying US-China-Russia geopolitical competition and rapid AI advances as key forces reshaping global security.

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17
Q

Why are AI-driven global platforms a concern, according to Schmidt?

A

Schmidt notes that these platforms concentrate power and create national security risks if hosted or controlled by rival nations.

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18
Q

How can global platform dependence become a strategic vulnerability, according to Schmidt?

A

Schmidt warns that rivals could weaponize this dependence by denying access to services during a crisis.

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19
Q

What strategic concerns do AI platforms raise, according to Schmidt?

A

Schmidt says platforms raise issues of control, regulation, data access, and influence over social norms—turning them into instruments of international strategy.

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20
Q

According to Schmidt, who are the main global AI competitors?

A

The US and China, with the US leading in talent and research, but China potentially overtaking within a decade. India and Europe also play key roles.

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21
Q

How does AI increase national security threats, according to Schmidt?

A

Schmidt explains that AI worsens cyber threats, speeds up warfare, and could destabilize nuclear deterrence, especially in open societies.

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22
Q

What role does data security play in AI-era national security, according to Schmidt?

A

Schmidt emphasizes that AI complicates data protection and increases vulnerability to influence and AI-enabled cyberattacks.

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23
Q

What does Schmidt say about AI and military unpredictability?

A

AI creates instability in military planning by introducing speed and unpredictability, risking unintended escalation and strategic miscalculation.

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24
Q

What are the risks of military AI systems, according to Schmidt?

A

Schmidt warns they could act beyond human control, escalate conflict quickly, and threaten nuclear stability by locating nuclear assets.

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25
Does Schmidt support AI arms control?
Yes, but he acknowledges it's harder than nuclear arms control due to AI’s fast evolution, ease of duplication, and verification challenges.
26
What initial arms control steps does Schmidt suggest?
Mutual understanding of AI capabilities, red lines, and confidence-building between rivals.
27
What does Schmidt say the US must do to maintain AI leadership?
Protect research, prevent IP theft, defend critical industries, and manage military rivalries.
28
What kind of US-China tech relationship does Schmidt propose?
Selective decoupling in sensitive areas, continued cooperation in science, and support for mutual innovation.
29
What strategy does Schmidt recommend for tech competition?
A hybrid public-private approach, investments in R&D, and projects like the National AI Research Resource to expand access.
30
What role do microelectronics play in Schmidt’s vision
Reducing foreign dependency in microchips is key to countering China and sustaining US tech dominance.
31
What does Schmidt conclude about the future of global competition?
Economic and security competition will run in parallel, and global stability depends on how AI risks are managed.
32
What is the main focus of Bode & Nadibaidze’s chapter on autonomous drones?
The integration of AI and autonomy in aerial weapons, focusing on loitering munitions, swarms, and large autonomous drones.
33
What are loitering munitions, according to Bode & Nadibaidze?
Drones that can hover, find, and strike targets without direct human control—blurring the line between UAVs and missiles.
34
What autonomy issues are raised with loitering munitions
Claims of human control conflict with advertised autonomous capabilities, especially in GPS-denied or combat environments.
35
What are drone swarms, according to Bode & Nadibaidze?
Groups of coordinated drones using AI to operate collectively at machine speed, often with limited human input.
36
Where is swarm technology being developed, according to Bode & Nadibaidze?
Israel, the US (Wolfpack), UK, China, and Russia.
37
What are larger autonomous drones designed for?
Tasks like surveillance, target marking, intelligence, and engagement, often alongside manned aircraft.
38
What are the strategic, operational, and economic reasons for drone proliferation?
Strategic advantage, operational efficiency, and lower cost compared to traditional systems.
39
What legal concerns do Bode & Nadibaidze raise?
Difficulty ensuring compliance with IHL rules like distinction and proportionality without meaningful human control.
40
What ethical issues do autonomous drones raise?
Concerns about delegating lethal force to machines, affecting moral responsibility and human dignity.
41
What technological risks are associated with autonomous drones
AI’s unpredictability, potential for errors, and vulnerability to adversarial manipulation.
42
What regulatory issue do Bode & Nadibaidze highlight?
The use of autonomous drones is outpacing international regulation, leading to normalization and reduced human oversight.
43
What military program does Suchman use as a central example?
Project Maven, which uses AI to analyze drone surveillance data for targeting. Pentagon project.
44
What is the main risk of automating military targeting, according to Suchman?
It can lead to more indiscriminate and discriminatory targeting while avoiding accountability.
45
How does Suchman critique the concept of “situational awareness”?
She argues it’s undermined by the "fog of war" and that AI attempts to overcome it are flawed.
46
What is the “reinvention of accuracy,” according to Suchman?
A shift in focus from how targets are selected to the technical precision of hitting them, obscuring key uncertainties.
47
How has threat identification shifted in counterterrorism, according to Suchman?
From uniformed combatants to profiling based on race, ethnicity, and behavior.
48
What is Activity-Based Intelligence (ABI)?
A method that uses data to detect patterns of life and identify potential threats, often in ambiguous environments.
49
What ethical issue arose from Google's involvement in Project Maven?
Employee resistance over concerns their work was contributing to unjust or mistaken killings.
50
Why are classification systems like “ISIS pickup trucks” problematic?
Suchman argues these categories are not objective—they are constructed and unstable.
51
What is Suchman’s conclusion about algorithmic warfare?
There’s no technical fix for targeting uncertainty. Solutions should focus on diplomacy and social justice, not more automation.
52
What does the “ISIS pickup trucks” example illustrate in Suchman’s analysis of algorithmic warfare?
It highlights the dangers of vague and biased classification in AI-driven targeting, like labeling vehicles as “ISIS pickup trucks” without clear criteria. This example is tied to Project Maven, a Pentagon initiative using AI to analyze drone footage, which involved Google. The controversy around Google's role sparked ethical concerns, as employees feared their work could lead to wrongful killings based on flawed or opaque targeting systems.
53
What is the central theme of Schwarz's article on venture capital and the military?
54
What is the central theme of Schwarz's article on venture capital (VC) and the military?
How VC dynamics—speed, risk, and profit—are reshaping defense innovation, norms, and procurement systems.
55
Why is VC re-entering the defense sector, according to Schwarz?
Due to renewed interest in digital tech, AI, and growing defense budgets making the sector profitable again.
56
What is "blitzscaling" in the context of defense?
A VC strategy emphasizing fast, large-scale growth, now influencing military startups and procurement.
57
What is the main goal of VC in defense startups, according to Schwarz?
To drive up company valuation and financial returns, not necessarily to deliver long-term defense solutions.
58
How do VC firms influence defense markets, according to Schwarz?
Through lobbying, mythmaking, strategic storytelling, and shaping perceptions of urgency or crisis.
59
What is the impact of defense tech unicorns like Anduril and Palantir?
They disrupt traditional defense systems and push for faster, more startup-friendly government processes.
60
What does “hacking the Pentagon” refer to in Schwarz’s article?
VC efforts to reshape Pentagon acquisition systems to match startup timelines and goals.
61
Who is a key figure linking Silicon Valley and the DoD?
Eric Schmidt, former Google CEO, who promotes startup values like speed and innovation in defense policy.
62
What tools is the DoD (department of ddefence) using to adapt to VC-backed innovation?
The Adaptive Acquisition Framework (AAF) and Other Transaction Agreements (OTAs).
63
What ethical risks does Schwarz associate with VC in defense?
Reduced oversight, prioritizing profit over ethics, and applying "fail fast" logic to life-and-death decisions.
64
How is venture capital (VC) defined in the military context, according to Schwarz?
VC is a high-risk, high-reward funding model where firms invest in high-growth startups—now increasingly in military tech—using capital from institutional and wealthy investors.
65
What is the central concern of The AI Military Race introduction?
The global spread of military AI is increasing insecurity, with autonomous weapons threatening peace and requiring new forms of international cooperation. (Denise Garcia)
66
Why are autonomous weapons called the “third revolution in warfare”
Because they can escalate conflict in speed and scale beyond human control, similar in impact to nuclear weapons. (Denise Garcia)
67
What do many AI researchers and tech professionals believe about weaponized AI?
They oppose its use in autonomous weapons and support AI’s development for peaceful, human-benefiting purposes. (Denise Garcia)
68
What is “common good governance,” according to the book?
A model for international cooperation involving states, civil society, and scientists to ensure AI serves humanity, not war. (Denise Garcia)
69
What current military systems already use AI and autonomy?
The Phalanx, Iron Dome (preprogrammed), and Harpy (fully autonomous) are examples of AI-enabled targeting systems.(Denise Garcia)
70
What risks come with a global AI arms race?
Proliferation, hacking, reduced human control, unintended escalation, and low-cost autonomous weapons in the wrong hands. (Denise Garcia)
71
Why is there concern over international law and AI weapons?
Existing laws may not fully address the ethical, legal, and technical challenges of autonomous systems in warfare. (Denise Garcia)
72
What is “meaningful human control” in the context of military AI?
Ensuring human oversight over critical functions like targeting and lethal force, to comply with law and ethics. (Denise Garcia)

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