Source: NYT > Business
The U.S., China, and Russia are now operationalizing AI in military applications—autonomous weapons, surveillance systems, and strategic decision-making—rather than simply researching the technology. This differs from the nuclear arms race analogy: AI systems are already deployable, iteratively improvable, and lack the mutual-destruction deterrent that kept nuclear arsenals in check. First-mover advantage in battlefield AI carries real tactical weight. The absence of binding international treaties governing military AI, unlike nuclear non-proliferation frameworks, means this competition will accelerate without the diplomatic off-ramps that eventually stabilized Cold War nuclear strategy.