AI: Power, Responsibility, and the Future
Source: eurasiareview.com
AI, Power, and Responsibility
It's a privilege to address defense professionals, technologists, scholars, and strategic thinkers committed to a secure and resilient global future. Thanks to Professor Anis H. Bajrektarevic, IFIMES, and the Global Academy for the Geo-Politico-Technological Futures for organizing discussions on AI and robotics, topics defining our global civilization.
Throughout my career in national defense, strategy, and governance, new technologies have forced us to recalibrate our expectations and responsibilities. Each generation faces transformative risk, from the Cold War to today’s digital battlefield. In our time, that risk and promise is Artificial Intelligence.
Early in my public service, technology reshaped military doctrine. Precision weaponry, network-centric warfare, and unmanned systems heralded a revolution in defense. But AI is more than an instrument; it's a force multiplier, a decision-maker, and potentially a policy-shaper. AI systems interpret satellite images better than human analysts. They autonomously monitor cyber threats, control drone swarms, and coordinate real-time logistics with minimal oversight. They may even make lethal decisions.
The strategic implications extend beyond defense. AI is integrated into healthcare, finance, transport, and democratic processes. AI's domain is governance itself.
Ethical Scrutiny of AI
As Secretary of State for Defence from 1999 to 2005, I oversaw investments in military research and emerging technologies, working with scientific communities, defense contractors, and NATO partners. We saw AI's potential to enhance decision-making, protect lives, and redefine warfare. Now, understanding these forces is vital.
Technology lacks a moral compass. AI is created by people, trained on biased data, shaped by commercial priorities, and deployed without transparency, demanding ethical scrutiny. What principles should guide AI development and deployment? Who decides when AI is trustworthy enough to decide about freedom, livelihood, or security? Policymakers, ethicists, civil society, and citizens must be involved.
As a former Defence Secretary, I know decisions are made quickly in crises. But speed must not compromise accountability. Military or governmental AI use must be controlled democratically, overseen, and publicly legitimate. We must view AI geopolitically.
The AI race is a contest between great powers. The United States and China invest heavily, while Europe seeks a third way based on human rights, privacy, and regulation. This is a clash of values. If we believe in democracy, liberty, and the rule of law, we must build AI systems that reflect those values, resisting opaque surveillance and forging international agreements to prevent AI weaponization.
The Future of AI
Like nuclear arms treaties, we need frameworks for autonomous weapons, algorithmic warfare, and AI misuse. The AI revolution will change how people live and work. Some fear AI will replace jobs, like drivers, accountants, and journalists. We must invest in education and retraining, so the workforce can work alongside AI. If AI automates tasks, humans can focus on creative thinking, empathy, leadership, and moral judgment.
This transition must be managed. Governments must anticipate AI's social impact and help those left behind. A just transition is essential. Understanding AI must be a societal project. Citizens deserve to know how decisions affecting them are made. Students should learn how AI works and why it matters. This programme is important because public AI literacy strengthens democracy and resilience against manipulation, inequality, and authoritarian misuse.
In the future, we need wisdom, leadership, and vigilance. When I served in government, threats were visible and predictable. AI is different; it is diffuse, embedded in code, and often acts invisibly. But its effects will be significant. As I explore in my book, leadership demands foresight and humility. We can treat AI as an opaque force or understand, shape, and guide it according to our values. Let us choose understanding over ignorance, governance over chaos, and humanity over hubris.