By Michael Nickerson
Safety first. Two simple words every kid has heard from their parents since the invention of fire. Closely followed by: Don’t play with matches; Don’t run down stairs; and Don’t run with scissors. Being a rather hyper child, I got that last one a lot, if for no other reason than I ran around constantly and if I had scissors in my hands so much the better! Somehow I managed to not put anyone’s eye out, and I’m proud to say I haven’t run with scissors in some time. Not much call for it really. I guess that makes me an adult now.
Well let’s not go that far, but you get the idea. Children can be a tad irresponsible and are likely to get killed without some mature, grown-up guidance. And let’s face it, there is no need to run with scissors. Dangerous stuff that at any age, and who needs cutting implements that hurriedly? But what if we really do need a set of clippers posthaste? What if lives depend on getting someone a sharp pair of shears a fast as your little feet will get them there? You might lose an eye, but the answer seems clear. Throw caution to the wind!
Well Canada isn’t facing a massive need for hordes of children to go charging hither and yon clutching the latest in pointy-ended grooming implements, but it is facing a rather pressing need for adults (presumably of the mature variety, but let’s not quibble) to throw caution to the wind and race to get on the A.I. train before it and everyone else leaves the proverbial station. For lives really are at risk and this country’s safety imperiled if we don’t get our act together and face the revolution of artificial intelligence head on.
Now we’re not talking about ChatGPT, Siri, Alexa, or your phone’s spellchecker. We’re talking about systems that can autonomously control drones, game out strategy options quicker that any human could hope, and employ facial recognition that could both stop a terrorist and intrude on civilian privacy. Encryption, planning, industrial design, these developments are all happening now, and our allies and foes are already rushing headlong into a future developing in leaps and bounds by the day, not the months and years we all seem to think we have.
Back in March, aeons ago by A.I. standards, the Department of National Defence published their strategy when it comes to the future of A.I.. It’s not voluminous but it does recognize the opportunities and perils of the technology, the significant cultural change needed to develop and adopt it, and the ethical questions that come with such a powerful tool. A.I. has the potential to be more significant and dangerous than the invention of nuclear weapons, but also a lot easier to attain.
The strategy has set a target of being “A.I. enabled” by 2030, which by their estimate is a pretty ambitious timeline. Unfortunately that’s about six years too late which means that in the name of military security and effectiveness, we must ask the DND, Canadian Armed Forces (CAF), and whatever government happens to be governing at any given moment to effectively ‘run with scissors’ as fast as their bureaucratic bunions will let them.
But are these really the right adults for the job? Part of that job will involve not just onboarding the software, but deciding and enforcing ethical standards to go with it. Whether it’s the current state of procurement, or recent examples of the CAF using social media to snoop on innocent Canadians, the prospects aren’t encouraging. And the current Liberal government can barely get a handle on regulating social media, much less A.I.
What is needed is a central entity, be it an oversight committee or preferably a dedicated ministry, composed of bipartisan members with the mandate to (let’s all put on rosy glasses now) rise above daily politics and focus on these challenges now, with real powers and real money to get real results. A.I. isn’t waiting folks. We need to pick up those scissors and run like hell. It’d be nice if we had adults who might actually be able to handle it.
