AI at War: How Big Data, Artificial Intelligence, and Machine Learning Are Changing Naval Warfare.

• Author: Tangredi, Sam J.
• Position: FURTHER READING

* This 451-page book that includes 20 essays casts a wide net and gathers a variety of thought leaders who expound about the potential applications and pitfalls of artificial intelligence in naval warfare.

AI has the potential to be the most beneficial technological development of the 21st century while at the same time "is undoubtedly the most hyped" of the past two decades, editors Sam J. Tangredi and George Galdorisi write in the introduction.

That sentence sets the tone for the rest of the book, which takes an unflinching look at what AI can and can't do for sailors.

The chapter "Practical Applications of Naval AI," written by two Navy lieutenant commanders, Connor McLemore and Charles Clark, rightly states that the term "artificial intelligence" is misleading as algorithms emulate human intelligence and cannot be intelligent.

They argue that completely trustworthy AI may not be achievable, so then what?

"Imperfect AI remains a persistent danger to its users as well as its opponents," they wrote.

It's not going to master critical...