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AI weapons could increase risk of nuclear wars, says new study

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7 years ago

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A new study from the RAND Corporation suggests that the adoption of AI-powered weapons in the military could result in an increased risk of nuclear war. According to the study, the utilization of smart technologies could undermine valuable military conventions such as “mutual assured destruction.”

Back in the Cold War, the condition of mutual assured destruction between the United States and the Soviet Union ended up maintaining the peace, since it was understood that a first-strike attack would result in massive damages on the aggressor. Due to mutual assured destruction, countries with advanced militaries found very little incentive to take violent actions that could trigger a full-scale war.

With AI weapons in consideration, however, some nations might adopt a first-strike stance during conflicts to counter the advantages brought by artificial intelligence-powered defense systems. Thus, undermining the strategic stability provided by mutual assured destruction. 

While the risks of a nuclear war could increase with the emergence of AI weapons, however, the RAND study also states that smart technologies can be used as a means to preserve strategic stability, at least in the long run, as noted in a Science Daily report. Andrew Lohn, one of the authors of the RAND Corporation study, explained this in a statement.

“Some experts fear that an increased reliance on artificial intelligence can lead to new types of catastrophic mistakes. There may be pressure to use AI before it is technologically mature, or it may be susceptible to adversarial subversion. Therefore, maintaining strategic stability in coming decades may prove extremely difficult, and all nuclear powers must participate in the cultivation of institutions to help limit nuclear risk,” he said.

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While the idea of using bleeding-edge tech for the military might seem like a frightening idea, the fields of national defense and artificial intelligence actually have a long history together. According to Edward Geist, another researcher from the RAND study, AI in itself started with military efforts in mind.

“The connection between nuclear war and artificial intelligence is not new; in fact, the two have an intertwined history. Much of the early development of AI was done in support of military efforts or with military objectives in mind,” he said.

In a lot of ways, Geist’s statements do ring true. Earlier this month alone, a senior Pentagon official, undersecretary of defense for research and engineering Michael D. Griffin, encouraged the United States to explore emerging tech fields such as AI to ensure the country’s safety in the years to come. According to Griffin, future skirmishes between rival nations could happen through cyber attacks and AI-driven threats. Hence, the US would be wise to pursue the development of AI now, since the technology is still in its infancy.

Outside the United States, China has already expressed its assertive stance on AI. Just recently, one of the country’s AI startups, SenseTime, a company which creates surveillance tech, reached a valuation of $4.5 billion after a funding round led by e-commerce giant Alibaba. In South Korea, KAIST University — a DARPA award-winning school — recently found itself on the receiving end of a boycott from the AI community, after it was found that a number of its researchers were helping a local arms manufacturer develop AI-powered weapons.

Here’s a look at some of the US’ advanced military combat robots.

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Simon is an experienced automotive reporter with a passion for electric cars and clean energy. Fascinated by the world envisioned by Elon Musk, he hopes to make it to Mars (at least as a tourist) someday. For stories or tips--or even to just say a simple hello--send a message to his email, simon@teslarati.com or his handle on X, @ResidentSponge.

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Elon Musk

Elon Musk confirms Tesla is already rolling out a new feature for in-car Grok

Tesla is already making in-car Grok more robust with a simple but effective feature that CEO Elon Musk says is “coming.”

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1 hour ago

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July 16, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla CEO Elon Musk has confirmed that the company will roll out a new feature for in-car Grok as it is rolling out to vehicles for the first time.

Grok was just recently added as a feature to Tesla vehicles within the past week, but owners are already requesting some small changes to make it more convenient to use.

Tesla debuts hands-free Grok AI with update 2025.26: What you need to know

The first is already on the way, Musk confirmed, as WholeMarsBlog requested a simple, but useful feature for Grok as it is used within Tesla vehicles.

Whole Mars requested that “Hey Grok” be used as a wake word, automatically activating the AI assistant without having to touch any buttons. Musk confirmed it is already in development and on the way to vehicles:

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This feature is incredibly similar to that of “Hey Siri” with iPhones and other iOS devices. The phone will recognize your voice and hear that prompt, automatically activating Siri. Apple’s assistant will then perform whatever task it is asked to perform. It’s a simple but effective performance feature.

Grok is already getting its first reviews from owners as it rolls out to owners for the first time. It is a long time coming, too. Tesla has been hinting that Grok would be enabled in the vehicles for a while now, and it just started its initial rollout last week.

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Grok is available in vehicles with the AMD chip and requires Premium Connectivity or a WiFi connection to use.

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Tesla reveals key detail of Supercharger Diner, but it’s bigger than you think

Tesla has finally released one key detail about the Supercharger Diner, and it is bigger than what it appears at face-value.

Published

3 hours ago

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July 16, 2025

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Credit: Tesla

Tesla has revealed a key detail of its Supercharger Diner as its launch date appears to be nearing, based on what we are seeing at the site currently.

The Supercharger Diner is located on Santa Monica Boulevard in Los Angeles and was first proposed as an idea by CEO Elon Musk back in 2018. Musk envisioned a drive-in movie-style 1950s-inspired diner that would feature elements such as servers on roller skates, large movie screens, and a menu inspired by classic treats from several decades ago.

A project that first broke ground in 2023, the Supercharger Diner has been in development for over two years, as Tesla performed demolition work at the site back in February of that year.

It has slowly moved forward, and drone footage shot this week seems to show things are nearly up and running. Musk even mentioned that he had eaten at the Diner Supercharger this week.

There are still details that Tesla has yet to announce and confirm. The most important thing is regarding the menu that will be served at the diner.

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Tesla has not hinted at what it will be making for patrons at the restaurant, but Musk commended the food and said the diner would be one of the coolest spots in LA.

However, we now have details on another important thing about the restaurant: the hours.

Images taken by Aaron Cash of ABetterTheater.com show the diner will be open 24/7, as it appears on the front doors of the diner:

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At first thought, it seems this will operate like any other diner, as many are open for 24 hours a day. Diners typically serve large menus with numerous options, catering to the tastes and moods of anyone who walks in.

People of all walks of life eat at diners, as the food is typically affordable, tasty, and available at any hour to serve those who are night owls or those who work non-typical schedules.

However, Tesla is a bit different, and it seems that this new venture into food service could eventually transition from human servers and cooks to robots, most notably the company’s in-house project of Optimus.

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It is something straight out of a Star Wars movie. I can think of Obi-Wan Kenobi visiting Dex in his diner in Attack of the Clones to figure out where a poison dart was sourced from:

Eventually, Optimus will likely be working as an employee in the Tesla Diner, and 24/7 operation will be performed by the humanoid robot that aims to eliminate trivial tasks from humans.

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First glimpse of Tesla Model Y with six seats and extended wheelbase

It’s longer and taller than the regular Model Y, and it has a cool new badge.

Published

6 hours ago

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July 16, 2025

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Credit: Tesla China

Tesla’s extended wheelbase Model Y has been announced by the electric vehicle maker on its official Weibo page in China. At the same time, details of the upcoming vehicle have been listed in the China Ministry of Industry and Information Technology’s (MIIT) new regulatory catalog.

The extended wheelbase Model Y

Tesla announced the upcoming vehicle on its official Weibo page, with the company noting that the new car will be called the “Model Y L.” Images posted by the company showed that the Model Y L will feature a “Model Y” badge with a stylized “Y” graphic. A teaser image of the vehicle taken from its side also emphasizes the extra space that was gained from its extended wheelbase.

The MIIT listing for the Model Y L indicated that the vehicle would be 4,976 mm long, 1,920 mm wide, and 1,668 mm high. Its wheelbase was listed in the MIIT’s catalog as 3,040 mm. In comparison, the new Model Y is currently 4,797 mm long, 1,920 mm wide, and 1,624 mm high, with a wheelbase of 2,890 mm. 

Six seats and some power

Most notably, the extended wheelbase Model Y was listed in the MIIT regulatory catalog as a six-seat model. The vehicle is also listed with the product model number TSL6500BEVBA0, as noted in a CNEV Post report. And as hinted in Tesla China’s Weibo post, the vehicle will be released sometime in the fall.

The Model Y L is listed as a dual motor vehicle with peak power outputs of 142 kW and 198 kW for the front and rear motors. The vehicle is also listed with ternary batteries supplied by LG Energy Solution, and it reportedly weighs 2,088 kilograms (4603 pounds). In comparison, the new Model Y Dual Motor AWD weighs 4391 pounds.

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Tesla China has not hinted at the price of the new Model Y L, though expectations are high that the vehicle will be priced at about RMB 400,000 ($55,764). It also remains to be seen if the Model Y L will also be produced in Tesla’s vehicle factories in the United States and Germany.

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