Stephens, Boyle Urge U.S. to Build AI Weapons as China Cited AI Arms in 2011
Updated
Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 7
Stephens, Boyle Urge U.S. to Build AI Weapons as China Cited AI Arms in 2011
1 articles · Updated · The Washington Post · Jul 7
Summary
Trae Stephens and Katherine Boyle argue the U.S. should develop AI-powered weapons to deter war and, if conflict comes, fight with greater precision under human oversight.
Their case rests on deterrence and ethics: autonomous systems, they say, can reduce indiscriminate strikes if governed by just-war principles, legal controls and a democratically accountable chain of command.
The pair frame the push as a response to rivals already moving ahead, citing Russian work on drones with autonomous target selection and Chinese military references to “AI weapons” dating to 2011.
They contrast that urgency with religious and industry objections — including Pope Leo XIV’s warning about a technological arms race — while saying U.S. policy can still keep AI warfare accountable.
The broader claim is that failing to build faster would not avoid war, but leave the U.S. and allies facing conflicts shaped by adversaries using less constrained AI weaponry.