The Artificial Intelligence Database
Crisis Mode
Simulation Tech Can Help Predict the Biggest Threats
In the face of myriad global problems, Single Synthetic Environments will make life-and-death decisions easier to navigate.
By Joe Robinson
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Gaming Giant Unity Wants to Digitally Clone the World
The company is leveraging its technology to help clients make “digital twins”—virtual copies of real-life objects, environments, and even people.
By Cecilia D'Anastasio
Special Series
The History of Predicting the Future
Humans have long tried to determine the shape of what’s to come. But even the most advanced technology can’t solve the fundamental issues with predictions.
By Amanda Rees
Year in Review
Autonomous Weapons Are Here, but the World Isn’t Ready for Them
A UN report says a drone, operating without human control, attacked people in Libya. International efforts to restrict such weapons have so far failed.
By Will Knight
Ideas
Who Killed the Robot Dog?
The robotic companion was once a dream of techno-utopianism, but has instead become a terrifying weapon. What happened?
By Britt H. Young
Inside Job
This Group Pushed More AI in US Security—and Boosted Big Tech
The National Security Commission on AI included members from Oracle, Google, Microsoft, and Amazon. Some of its recommendations are already federal law.
By Tom Simonite
Red Team
The Pentagon Is Bolstering Its AI Systems—by Hacking Itself
A new “red team” will try to anticipate and thwart attacks on machine learning programs.
By Will Knight
JEDI
The Pentagon Scrubs a Cloud Deal and Looks to Add More AI
The JEDI program had become a legal and political morass. Microsoft won the $10 billion contract, but Amazon and Oracle sued to block the deal.
By Tom Simonite
Bad Look
Deepfake Maps Could Really Mess With Your Sense of the World
Researchers applied AI techniques to make portions of Seattle look more like Beijing. Such imagery could mislead governments or spread misinformation online.
By Will Knight
Autonomy
The Pentagon Inches Toward Letting AI Control Weapons
Drills involving swarms of drones raise questions about whether machines could outperform a human operator in complex scenarios.
By Will Knight
Dogfight
AI Could Enable 'Swarm Warfare' for Tomorrow's Fighter Jets
A Pentagon project is testing scenarios involving multiple aircraft that could change the dynamics of air combat.
By Will Knight
Industrial Policy
As China Rises, the US Builds Toward a Bigger Role in AI
After decades of staying out of industrial policy, a Pentagon-appointed commission recommends more spending on research and support for US chip makers.
By Will Knight
Book Excerpt
Palantir’s God’s-Eye View of Afghanistan
The company’s software can sift through enormous amounts of data, and those metrics can be used to make life-or-death decisions.
By Annie Jacobsen
Q&A
Former DOD Head: The US Needs a New Plan to Beat China on AI
In an interview with WIRED, former secretary of defense Ash Carter discussed how to build morality into AI—and make sure other countries do too.
By Nicholas Thompson
Settled
A Startup Will Nix Algorithms Built on Ill-Gotten Facial Data
The FTC applies a novel remedy, going a step further than simply deleting the source photos.
By Tom Simonite
National Strategy
Trump Could Torpedo a Bill to Boost Funding for AI
The National Defense Authorization Act would increase US investment by $6.4 billion over 5 years. But the president could veto it over other provisions.
By Will Knight
Machine Learning
The 8 Best Books About Artificial Intelligence to Read Now
Algorithms have crept into our feeds, streets, and workplaces. Here’s what WIRED staff are reading to understand what that means for the future.
By WIRED Staff
Fatal Funnel
A Navy SEAL, a Quadcopter, and a Quest to Save Lives in Combat
On the battlefield, any doorway can be a death trap. A special ops vet, and his businessman brother, have built an AI to solve that problem.
By Elliot Ackerman
Overheard
The AI Company Helping the Pentagon Assess Disinfo Campaigns
Primer can quickly sort through hundreds of sources to identify, say, Russian interference in Azerbaijan. It sells its tech to Walmart too.
By Will Knight
Opinion
There's No Turning Back on AI in the Military
In the digital arms race with China, the only thing worse than fearing AI itself is the fear of not having it at all.
By Will Roper