Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, September 18, 2023
Posted: 18th September 2023
September 18, 2023
A mural in Lviv, Ukraine, depicting the war. Credit: Filippa Lentzos.
DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
Conducting public health workshops in Ukraine—under threat of missile attack
A biosecurity expert travels to Ukraine to give public health workshops under constant threat of missile attacks. Read more.
DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
The false promise of cyber conventions: Why the West is losing and what to do about it
To counter Russia, China, and their allies’ attempts to undermine existing cybersecurity norms, the US and Europe must refocus and strengthen their cyber diplomacy efforts, write two technology security specialists. Read more.
NUCLEAR RISK
Kings Bay nuclear submarine hub dodged a bullet named Hurricane Idalia
As global warming worsens hurricanes and extreme flooding, shovels and sand bags aren’t enough to protect US nuclear weapons facilities, writes Carnegie Endowment for International Peace fellow Jamie Kwong. Read more.
Everything you should know in the age of AI
The potential of AI to change nearly every aspect of our lives, from warfare and governance to the very essence of human nature, is both awe-inspiring and daunting.
Read leading experts’ thoughts on the hype, peril, and promise of AI in the latest issue of the Bulletin’s premium magazine.
DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
An emerging military technology expert explains global power dynamics in the AI age
Former US Army Ranger Paul Scharre explains in matter-of-fact detail the struggle for world leadership in the age of artificial intelligence, chiefly as it relates to US-China power dynamics. Read more.
DISRUPTIVE TECHNOLOGIES
How AI is revolutionizing nuclear material
The potential role of AI in nuclear material production is a wildly controversial concept, but it may offer advantages if done responsibly, argue two nuclear experts. Read more.
QUOTE OF THE DAY
“Even after my article, the airforce said ‘We’re going to build a reactor’ and they went with Oklo. So, that’s going to be [US] national security dollars going to subsidize a start-up that wants to use plutonium fuel which is going to wind up increasing the chance that our enemies will have nuclear weapons.”
— Alan Kuperman discussing his recent Bulletin article, “What do nuclear weapons have in common with Bill Gates and President Biden?” Fox Business
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