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The Lawfare Podcast

Lawfare Daily: Dan Hendrycks on National Security in the Age of Superintelligent AI

Mar 20, 2025
Dan Hendrycks, Director of the Center for AI Safety, discusses groundbreaking strategies on national security in the age of superintelligent AI. He explores the concept of mutual assured AI malfunction as a new deterrence strategy, drawing parallels to nuclear policies. The conversation also delves into the urgent need for international cooperation to regulate AI access, emphasizing the potential risks and ethical considerations. Hendrycks advocates for heightened government oversight in AI security to protect against misuse and ensure accountability.
40:56

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Quick takeaways

  • The emergence of superintelligent AI poses unprecedented challenges in military deterrence, necessitating a coordinated strategy to manage its implications.
  • The introduction of Mutual Assured AI Malfunction emphasizes the need for global cooperation in AI governance to prevent catastrophic outcomes.

Deep dives

The Rise of Superintelligence

As AI capabilities advance rapidly, the concept of superintelligence emerges, defined as an AI that surpasses human experts in virtually every intellectual domain. The discussion emphasizes that this development poses unprecedented challenges in military deterrence and international power dynamics, drawing parallels with the nuclear age. Experts suggest that an AI arms race could evoke greater unpredictability than historical nuclear tensions, urging the need for a coordinated superintelligence strategy. This strategy is not merely academic, but essential to manage the profound implications of advanced AI technologies.

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