{"id":25447,"date":"2021-03-01T22:03:24","date_gmt":"2021-03-01T22:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/uncategorized\/2021\/03\/01\/wakeup-call-report-calls-for-massive-ai-investments-to-counter-china\/"},"modified":"2026-08-08T18:24:09","modified_gmt":"2026-08-08T18:24:09","slug":"wakeup-call-report-calls-for-massive-ai-investments-to-counter-china","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/one.sightlinemg.com\/c4isrnet\/artificial-intelligence\/2021\/03\/01\/wakeup-call-report-calls-for-massive-ai-investments-to-counter-china\/","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Wakeup call\u2019: Report calls for massive AI investments to counter China"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

WASHINGTON \u2014 A congressionally mandated artificial intelligence report released Monday called for billions of dollars of U.S. investment, warning that China \u201cpossesses the might, talent, and ambition\u201d to topple the U.S. as the global AI leader.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The 756-page final report from the National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence<\/a>, required by the 2019 National Defense Authorization Act, makes hundreds of recommendations to get the U.S. Department of Defense \u201cAI-ready\u201d by 2025 as the U.S. tries to stay ahead of China in the development of artificial intelligence capabilities<\/a>.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cIf the United States does not act, it will likely lose its leadership position in AI to China in the next decade and become more vulnerable to a spectrum of AI-enabled threats from a host of state and non-state actors,\u201d the report warned.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

At commissioners\u2019 final meeting to approve the report on Monday, they emphasized that leadership from the White House, Defense Department and Congress is at the core of ensuring an advantage for the U.S. The report calls for emerging technology steering groups at the White House and Defense Department.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cWe meant this to be a wakeup call,\u201d said Oracle Corp. CEO Safra Catz, a commission member. \u201cThere are very, very bold actions we\u2019re asking for. They are asking in many cases for us to break out from our historical siloes and work together. This is pretty much the critical moment for our country.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n

According to the report, an AI-ready DoD is one in which war fighters are \u201cenabled with baseline digital literacy and access to the digital infrastructure and software required for ubiquitous AI integration in training, exercises, and operations.\u201d Preparation of service members is critical because future war-fighting operations will rely on artificial intelligence to assist with targeting and commander decision-making.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Pentagon should boost its artificial intelligence research and development to $8 billion a year by 2025, up from about $1.5 billion now, the report urged. The DoD spend about 3 percent of its budget on science and technology, the commissioners said, adding that nondefense AI R&D spending should increase to $32 billion by 2026.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cThis will be expensive and require a significant change in mindset at the national, agency and White House levels,\u201d Bob Work, vice chair of the commission and former deputy secretary of defense, said at the meeting.<\/p>\n\n\n\t