Crazy suggestion: US should bomb China’s AGI data centers
In the race for artificial intelligence, a US expert advises taking drastic measures. To prevent China’s breakthrough in superintelligent AI, an expert suggests targeted military strikes on data centers.
Preemptive strike for AI dominance
A current strategy paper from the Center for a New American Security advises the US government to consider far-reaching measures in the race for artificial intelligence. To prevent China from becoming the first nation to develop artificial general intelligence, author Jacob Stokes suggests physical military strikes against Chinese data centers in addition to cyber attacks. The abbreviation AGI (Artificial General Intelligence) refers to a currently hypothetical AI system that achieves human or superhuman cognitive abilities in many task areas.
Stokes, a former security adviser to the US government under Barack Obama, compares the current technological rivalry to the nuclear arms race of the last century. Control over such technology could shift the geopolitical balance of power.
As the South China Morning Post reported, the text calls on American intelligence agencies to define criteria for a possible Chinese breakthrough. If such a situation were to emerge, Washington would have to be prepared to destroy the relevant infrastructure. In addition to espionage and sabotage, the paper explicitly mentions the use of conventional weapons against civilian data centers.
Danger of escalation
The thought game is met with strong resistance from security experts. Critics warn that a physical attack on a nuclear power’s infrastructure would lead to military escalation. Armaments analyst William Hartung described the plans outlined as reckless because they could risk a direct war between two nuclear powers. The paper is also condemned in Chinese state media. The idea of using armed force against civilian infrastructure is equated there with terrorism.
There are fears that simply discussing such scenarios in Washington will pave the way for political hardening rather than fostering the needed international dialogue. The United States currently has a clear lead in the development of AI models. Nevertheless, the Center for a New American Security fears an unexpected technological leap by China, for example in the field of robotics.
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