The World Today

The rapid development and adoption of AI has provoked alarming warnings from all quarters, even from its creators. We have pulled together thinking from across Chatham House to explore how we can leverage technology’s potential to both disrupt society and help address some of humanity’s biggest challenges.
Alex Krasodomski lays out his case for why the scale, applications and pace of AI development show that governments must invest in technological capacity for the good of democracies around the world. In hosting the AI Safety Summit, Britain is well placed to be an influential force, argues Olivia O’Sullivan.
Yasmin Afina urges more oversight and control of private sector involvement in military AI. Mahlet Zimeta writes that the movement to decolonize AI seeks to address historic imbalances of power built into the code running the technology. With key elections around the world scheduled for next year, AI has the power to upset the democratic process, reports Helen Fitzwilliam. And are we facing a quantum technology ‘arms race’, ask Marion Messmer, James Shires and Armida van Rij.
Worry over the risks from AI may be fruitless if we can’t tackle the world’s biggest threat: global warming. With COP28 kicking off in November, Henry Throp and Laurie Laybourn consider the debate around the 1.5C target − should it stay, or should it go? Finally, Daniel Drezner, lays out his stall as he introduces his new column looking at the world through American eyes.