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Artificial Intelligence
commentary
Artificial Intelligence and the Military
Robert W. Button
Sep 7, 2017
RealClearDefense
AI has many possible applications for the military, such as providing unpredictable and adaptive adversaries for training fighter pilots. But what are the implications of AI adoption?
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Arms Proliferation and Control
commentary
How Did North Korea Get Its Nuclear Capabilities So Far So Fast?
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Aug 14, 2017
U.S. News & World Report
The recent North Korean missile tests and other provocations have sent shock waves through the global national security community and heightened tensions throughout the region. How has North Korea increased its missile capabilities so dramatically in such a short period of time?
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Military Strategy
commentary
Thinking Constructively About Overmatch
Robert W. Button
Mar 21, 2017
RealClearDefense
To regain military superiority the Pentagon has suggested a strategy that focuses on emerging technologies and deterrence. But it will need more than new technologies to deter and respond to aggression; it should also take into account grand strategy and acquisition considerations and keep countering Russia and China a top priority.
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Military Acquisition and Procurement
commentary
Acquisition in Transition
Irv Blickstein
Feb 21, 2017
RealClearDefense
The DoD acquisition system is complex and ever-changing. It requires a trained and active workforce that has the support of Congress. Allowing some of the reforms to take place in a measured fashion would be a wise choice for the new administration and Congress.
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Military Acquisition and Procurement
commentary
Uncertainty Ahead: Defense Technology and Acquisition Trends in 2017
Cynthia R. Cook @CynthiaRCook
Jan 3, 2017
The Cipher Brief
The change in administration, coupled with the new management structure being imposed by Congress on the Department of Defense's acquisition enterprise is creating a shifting and unpredictable landscape for 2017.
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Cyber Warfare
commentary
America's Cyber Security Dilemma — and a Way Out
Chad C. Serena, Colin P. Clarke @ColinPClarke
Dec 22, 2016
Defense One
The United States should continue to pursue international cooperation in cyberspace, improve its ability to identify and expose the sources of attacks, and improve its oversight of the development and adoption of cyber-related technologies.
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Military Technology
commentary
Approaching Future Offsets
Yuna Huh Wong
Dec 21, 2016
The Hill
Grand strategy, acquisitions, and technological considerations may shape the debate about the future of the U.S. military for some time to come. Only where all three elements align are future offsets likely to succeed.
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Military Technology
commentary
DIUx: Capturing Technological Innovation
Cynthia R. Cook @CynthiaRCook
Nov 23, 2016
The Cipher Brief
The Defense Innovation Unit Experimental (DIUx) aims to find new sources of advanced technology to give America an edge over potential foes. DIUx is evidence of another form of innovation: organizing in new ways to capture new ideas.
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Artificial Intelligence
commentary
Killer Robots: Moral Concerns vs. Military Advantages
Colin Roberts
Nov 4, 2016
The National Interest
The U.S. military should balance Americans' ethical concerns over computers making life and death decisions with the need to maintain an edge in the face of rapid advances in artificial intelligence and machine learning across the globe.
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Intelligence Community
commentary
The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Intelligence Agencies
Cortney Weinbaum @cortney_dc
Jul 18, 2016
The National Interest
The defense community has already begun a healthy dialogue about the ethics of AI in combat systems. The intelligence community should develop standards for AI risk assessments and assign responsibility for conducting them.
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Artificial Intelligence
commentary
How to Overcome the Risks of Artificial Intelligence
Andrew J. Lohn @andrewjlohn, Andrew Parasiliti @ATParasiliti, William Welser IV @WilliamWelserIV
Oct 22, 2015
TIME
The warnings and promises of artificial intelligence aren't new, but advances in technology make them more pressing.
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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
commentary
Armed Drone Myth 3: Global Proliferation Demands Blanket Restrictions on Sales
Lynn E. Davis, Michael McNerney, Daniel Byman
Feb 19, 2015
The RAND Blog
More than 70 countries have acquired drones of different classes and for different purposes. However, the number of countries actually developing
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Science, Technology, and Innovation Policy
commentary
Managing Technology in an Unmanageable World
Daniel M. Gerstein @Daniel_Gerstein
Feb 19, 2015
The Hill
The need for purposeful and focused R&D in the U.S. has never been greater, but technology is advancing so quickly that the structures available to manage it have not kept pace. A comprehensive examination of the technological landscape is needed to help the government take a more holistic approach to investing in and regulating technologies.
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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles
commentary
Armed Drone Myth 1: They Will Transform How War Is Waged Globally
Lynn E. Davis, Michael McNerney, Daniel Byman
Feb 17, 2015
The RAND Blog
Long-range military drones are fundamentally misunderstood. Their champions wrongly contend they are revolutionizing warfare, while critics fear their spread would greatly increase the threat that China, terrorists, and others pose.
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Military Information Technology Systems
commentary
Decoding the Breach: The Truth About the CENTCOM Hack
David C. Gompert, Martin C. Libicki
Feb 3, 2015
The Mark News
When ISIS hackers hijacked the Twitter account of U.S. Central Command on Jan. 12, they falsely claimed that they had hacked into U.S. military computers. While the incident was embarrassing, it was not concerning in operational military terms. It was, however, damaging to the counterinsurgency against ISIS.
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Transportation Safety
commentary
What if Distracted Driving Was Safe?
James M. Anderson
Jul 1, 2014
The RAND Blog
According to consumer research, the ability to consume media, write an email, or even sleep during transport is a key selling point for autonomous vehicles (self-driving cars), which could be widely available in the fairly near future. Autonomous vehicle technology could also produce a wide range of public benefits.
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Data Mining
commentary
How Do We Deal with a Flood of Data?
Isaac R. Porche III @IsaacPorche, Bradley Wilson, Erin-Elizabeth Johnson
Jun 23, 2014
Future Force
Despite the value of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) systems, the amount of data they generate has become overwhelming. If the Navy does not change the way it processes information, it will reach an ISR “tipping point”—as soon as 2016.
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Border and Port Security
blog
Saving Money by Using Advanced DoD Sensors on the U.S. Border
Dan Gonzales @gonzadan, Laura Patton
Jun 6, 2014
There is no legal reason why a DoD sensor should be excluded from use in an interagency technology demonstration or in an actual counterdrug operation as long as a valid request for support is made by an appropriate law enforcement official and no personally identifiable or private information on U.S. citizens is collected.
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Military Satellites
commentary
Satellites for Rent
Timothy M. Bonds, Isaac R. Porche III @IsaacPorche
Nov 8, 2013
U.S. News & World Report
Reports earlier this year that the U.S. Department of Defense leased a Chinese satellite to support military operations in Africa sparked concern that the arrangement could compromise control over U.S. military communications, or, worse, allow Chinese intelligence gatherers access to privileged military data.
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Military Technology
commentary
War Robots Will Lessen Killing—Not Increase It
John Matsumura
Oct 18, 2013
Christian Science Monitor
Could armed autonomous robots embark on a campaign of indiscriminate killing? John Matsumura says that there is a convincing base of evidence that robots are more likely to prevent slaughter than engage in it.
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Military Information Technology Systems
commentary
Calling for a Time-Out in the Army Intelligence Software Debate
Christopher G. Pernin, Isaac R. Porche III @IsaacPorche
Aug 21, 2013
The RAND Blog
The Army's Distributed Common Ground System (DCGS) program has been getting much attention from Congress, and its future was the subject of a heated exchange between the Army's Chief of Staff General Raymond Odierno and Representative Duncan Hunter in May.
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United States Air Force
blog
A Cybercrisis Is Inevitable — and Manageable
Martin C. Libicki
Jan 9, 2013
The United States can manage a cybercrisis by taking steps to reduce the incentives for other states to step into crisis, by controlling the narrative, understanding the stability parameters of the crises, and trying to manage escalation if conflicts arise.
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Global Security
commentary
Security Strategies for U.S. Diplomatic Compounds
William Young
Sep 19, 2012
The RAND Blog
Going forward, it's clear the security plan for the U.S. diplomatic presence abroad must include well-developed strategies to both detect and prevent an assault like the one in Libya before it occurs, writes William Young.
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Libya
commentary
Can You Hear Libya Now?
Dan Gonzales @gonzadan, Sarah Harting
Mar 5, 2011
The New York Times
The U.S. and its allies could help Libyans communicate with the outside world by deploying cellphone base stations on aircraft or tethered balloons, write Dan Gonzales and Sarah Harting.
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commentary
Swarming -- The Next Face of Battle
John Arquilla, David Ronfeldt
Sep 29, 2003
Aviation Week & Space Technology
Technological advances often give rise to new types of weapons, but the achievement of lasting breakthroughs in fighting power requires organizational and doctrinal innovation as we.
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Military Technology

Artificial Intelligence and the Military

How Did North Korea Get Its Nuclear Capabilities So Far So Fast?

Thinking Constructively About Overmatch

Acquisition in Transition

Uncertainty Ahead: Defense Technology and Acquisition Trends in 2017

America's Cyber Security Dilemma — and a Way Out

Approaching Future Offsets

DIUx: Capturing Technological Innovation

Killer Robots: Moral Concerns vs. Military Advantages

The Ethics of Artificial Intelligence in Intelligence Agencies

How to Overcome the Risks of Artificial Intelligence

Armed Drone Myth 3: Global Proliferation Demands Blanket Restrictions on Sales

Managing Technology in an Unmanageable World

Armed Drone Myth 1: They Will Transform How War Is Waged Globally

Decoding the Breach: The Truth About the CENTCOM Hack

What if Distracted Driving Was Safe?

How Do We Deal with a Flood of Data?

Saving Money by Using Advanced DoD Sensors on the U.S. Border

Satellites for Rent

War Robots Will Lessen Killing—Not Increase It

Calling for a Time-Out in the Army Intelligence Software Debate

A Cybercrisis Is Inevitable — and Manageable

Security Strategies for U.S. Diplomatic Compounds

Can You Hear Libya Now?

Swarming -- The Next Face of Battle

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