[GekkePrutser]

> O'Shaughnessy advocated before the United States Senate Committee on Armed Services for a layered space capability with lethal follow-on that incorporates machine learning and artificial intelligence to gather and act upon sensor data quickly

So basically a doomsday machine.

I understand the need for quick reaction but I really really would like to see a human in the chain to push the button. We've come way too close before like the Cuban crisis and Able Archer more specifically where all the data was screaming war but cool heads prevailed.

Trust the world in the hands of an AI? Please no.

[no_wizard]

I agree with you 100%. For all of humanities fallibleness, every averted nuclear close call was due to having a human in the loop[0] in one way or another. For instance, in 1960 Norway's sunrise was interpreted by radar in Greenland as a nuclear attack by the Soviet Union. Thankfully there were no automated responses, and humans in the loop realized the error quite quickly once they assessed all the surrounding facts

[0]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_nuclear_close_calls

[1]: I couldn't help but think of this skit and pronunciation when seeing O'Shaughnessy from Key & Peel (video is linked to the pronunciation but its worth watching in its entirety if you like this kind of humor)

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Dd7FixvoKBw&t=142

[zimpenfish]

> Able Archer

And shortly before that started, Stanislav Petrov[1] saved us by using common sense to not press the button.

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Soviet_nuclear_false_alar...

[GekkePrutser]

Oh yes this is the incident I was referring to, actually. I thought it was the same. Somehow I remembered the troop buildup of Able Archer confirmed the invasion fear for the Soviets. But it sounds like that played no part in it. I must have remembered it wrong.

[zimpenfish]

> Somehow I remembered the troop buildup of Able Archer confirmed the invasion fear for the Soviets.

From what I remembered, and a quick scan of Wikipedia[1], you're not wrong.

"In response, the Soviet Union readied their nuclear forces and placed air units in East Germany and Poland on alert. The Soviet 4th Air Army began loading nuclear warheads onto combat planes in preparation for war."

[1] https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Able_Archer_83

[6510]

Just that the last American died doesn't mean the war is lost.

[Finnucane]

>So basically a doomsday machine.

The whole point of a doomsday machine is lost if you keep it a secret!

[analognoise]

It was to be announced at the Party Congress on Monday. As you know, the Premier loves surprises.

[GekkePrutser]

Not really as far as I understand? It's a deterrent?

[0cf8612b2e1e]

I believe that is a quote from Dr. Strangelove