Thread

US Military had close call after using AI for hallucinated intelligence report

519 points · 396 comments · realsarm

jameson · 1789755937 · focus · HN ↗
It reminds me of the an Soviet officer who disobeyed early warning system's alert that US had launched four ICBMs and did not immediately relay the issue up to the chain of command.
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Stanislav_Petrov
<a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Soviet_nuclear_false_alarm_incident" rel="nofollow">https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1983_Soviet_nuclear_false_alar...
1. JumpCrisscross · 1789756247 · focus · HN ↗
  It reminds me of laughing at the stupid old Europeans starting a war because an Austrian numpty got himself shot in Serbia. Like, we almost sunk a Chinese ship because an AI thought the sour candies they were transporting were nukes is in the same category of shitheadedness. (I'm embellishing–we don't know what was on board.)
  1. stefs · 1789758623 · focus · HN ↗
    the assassination of archduke franz ferdinand was just the trigger but not the reason. the war would have started anyway.
    mullingitover · 1789759078 · focus · HN ↗
    Same goes for pre-WWII Germany and the rise of Hitler. He takes the blame but the German electorate was toxic, bloodthirsty and humiliated. They would’ve elevated the next monster in line if Hitler hadn’t been available.
    orwin · 1789768920 · focus · HN ↗
    only 31-40% of the german electorate was that. And it was on the decline, which is why Von Papen convinced himself he would be easy to negociate cabinet postition with Hitler.

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