Lindsay Participates in Panel on Myths of Technology, Realities of War

Posted June 7, 2022

Jon R. Lindsay, associate professor in the Sam Nunn School of International Affairs and the School of Cybersecurity and Privacy, participated in a panel titled “Artificial Intelligence vs. Natural Stupidity: Myths of Technology and the Realities of War.” The event was hosted by the Munk School of Global Affairs and Public Policy at the University of Toronto.

Lindsay began by presenting some of his work in the AI and warfare sphere, including discussing an article he published earlier this year alongside Avi Goldfarb, also of the University of Toronto. In both the article and presentation, Lindsay argued that AI will not fully replace humans in warfare any time soon, as humans are needed to interpret data and make decisions.

“More often than not, you find in conflict that the very same systems that are designed to improve information and reduce uncertainty actually become new sources of uncertainty,” Lindsay said.

Lindsay then joined two other faculty from the Munk School, Founding Director Janice Stein and Professor and Director Peter Loewen, for a panel discussion. There, they took questions from the audience and discussed such topics as how AI is playing a role in the war in Ukraine.

A recording of the event is available on the Munk School’s YouTube channel.