Oculus founder predicts AI's role in future war casualties
What's the story
In a recent interview with Bloomberg, Palmer Luckey warned of the potential dangers of deploying artificial intelligence (AI) in military operations. The Oculus founder and current head of Anduril stated it's a "certainty" that AI will cause the deaths of innocent people in future wars. He emphasized the importance of human involvement and accountability to prevent inadvertent deaths and civilian casualties, when AI systems are deployed by the US military.
AI accountability
Advocating for accountability in AI-driven warfare
Luckey stressed the need for accountability in the deployment of AI systems in military operations. "We need to make sure that people remain accountable because that's the only thing that'll drive us to better solutions and fewer inadvertent deaths, casualties," he said. Despite acknowledging AI's potential dangers, he argued it could address existing issues potentially more harmful to civilians. "I don't want AI to do these things, but a lot of times the existing technologies are much worse," Luckey explained.
Business and politics
Tech defense contracts and political controversy
Luckey has significant experience in tech-related defense contracts. His current company, Anduril, holds billions of dollars in contracts with the US Department of Defense. However, his political donation to a PAC aligned with former President Donald Trump led to his ousting from Oculus, post its acquisition by Meta. Despite the controversy, Luckey insisted he isn't as politically inclined as perceived. "I'm actually not nearly as political of a person as people think," he said.