Slate Daily Feed What Next: TBD | Tech, power, and the future - If You Give A.I. a Nuke
Nov 30, 2025
Josh Keating, a senior correspondent at Vox and an expert on foreign policy, dives into the intricate relationship between AI and nuclear weapons. He unveils the growing role of AI in military systems, from predictive maintenance to automated retaliatory frameworks. Keating highlights the clash between military leaders' skepticism and tech firms' push for automation. He warns about cyber vulnerabilities and the accelerated pace of conflict that AI introduces, ultimately reshaping nuclear policy discussions in a post-Cold War era.
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Nuclear Systems Are Older Than You Think
- Much of the U.S. nuclear command-and-control infrastructure is surprisingly low-tech, with legacy systems used until recently. Modernization plans explicitly include AI, raising questions about how much decision-making will be ceded to machines.
Blurred Lines Between Humans And AI
- Increasing AI integration risks blurring the line between human and machine roles in crisis decisions. That blurring could make it harder to ensure humans truly control launch decisions in high-pressure moments.
Limit AI To Supportive Military Roles
- Use AI for predictable, non-decision tasks like predictive maintenance to reduce failures. Avoid letting AI autonomously choose nuclear launch options without sustained human oversight.