Description

The next great power struggle may not be won on the battlefield, but in semiconductor factories, AI labs and satellite networks. In Bytes and Bullets, Steve Feldstein explores how technology is transforming modern warfare and creating a new global arms race. Guest: Steve Feldstein, Senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace in the Democracy, Conflict, and Governance Program. Author of,  Bytes and Bullets: Global Rivalries, Private Tech, and the New Shape of Modern Warfare Producer: Ali Benton

Summary

This discussion examines how frontier technological competition in AI labs and semiconductor manufacturing is fundamentally reshaping modern warfare and global power dynamics. It highlights the escalating arms race in autonomous systems and lethal autonomous weapons (LAWS), which poses significant risks to global stability and human control over military escalations. The analysis explores the dangerous intersection of private sector tech advancement and state military objectives, emphasizing the need for robust international governance frameworks to mitigate catastrophic risks associated with AI-driven conflict. This context is particularly relevant to Australian defense policy and its strategic alignment within the AUKUS framework and broader Indo-Pacific security architectures.

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