New weapons
This week I got an email from a friend in New Mexico expressing solidarity with those of us in Michigan opposing massive data centers. The note highlighted the work of Concerned Citizens for Nuclear Safety, who have opposed the expansion of nuclear weapons for nearly 40 years. They have been at the forefront of groups identifying the link between the expansion of data centers and nuclear weapons. CCNS highlighted the efforts of people in Ypsilanti Township to stop the University of Michigan partnership with Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL) in the construction of a massive data center.
The U of M has a long history of collaborating with the Department of Defense. But this current effort is unusual. The $1.2 billion project dedicates the vast majority of the 300,000 sq. ft. of space to classified federal research under the auspices of LANL. It is not primarily a space for open research.
Dr. Dylan Spaulding, a senior scientist at the Global Security Program of the Union of Concerned Scientists, said, “What appears to separate this collaboration may be the level of classification attached to this new data center. The level of classification suggests that it may be sort of taking a more aggressive approach towards weapons-related science than fundamental science that you would find in the open literature. He noted that the extent of classified research in a single facility is unusual.
As people oppose the efforts by corporate and government powers to push massive data centers into our communities, it is becoming increasingly clear that these centers have little to do with improving our daily lives. Rather, the push is directly related to the acceleration of artificial intelligence and the need to manipulate large amounts of information for warfare. These centers are not intended to help with a Google search. They are central to the advancement of weapons.
Recently, the editors of the New York Times harkened back to the fears of nuclear weapons unleashed when the US dropped atomic bombs on two cities. They look to the creation of the Atomic Energy Commission and attribute its functioning, however flawed, to the prevention of nuclear war.
The same broad principles should apply to A.I., and the government should act urgently. America can benefit most from A.I. not just by developing the best technology but by setting rules that are grounded in democratic values and human rights and that can shape the global debate.
There is a great deal wrong with this analogy, none the least of which is claiming the AEC has prevented nuclear war. Rather, it has been the persistent efforts of people globally insisting that nuclear war is unacceptable that have provided a fragile measure of protection in a world still dangerously close to the use of such weapons.
But it is important to understand the central role the development of advanced weaponry is playing in this push toward massive data centers. There are weapons more dangerous than nuclear bombs.
Under the direction of Pete Hegseth, the Secretary of Defense, we are witnessing a shift toward the development of “smart” weapons, capable of determining for themselves who, what, and when they will unleash destruction. With little mainstream publicity, Hegseth is overseeing the development of Project Linchpin. This initiative accelerates the demand for AI to establish a public-private framework with “commercial innovators to rapidly integrate ‘best of breed’ technologies… providing an organic capability to develop and deploy data-centric tools directly to warfighters.”
The aim of this “tactical edge” is to develop systems “capable of executing missions autonomously when human oversight is unavailable.” Warning that no other way is possible, current policies assert. “The Army must accept that the tactical edge requires systems that can think for themselves without reliance on external infrastructure.” The aim is to ensure “that commanders retain the ability to sense and act even when the digital connection to higher headquarters is cut.”
One goal of massive data manipulation is the development of minute, decentralized capabilities for autonomous weapons.
In opposing the construction of these data centers, we are laying claim to a different vision for our lives and our futures. We have seen the destruction caused by the pursuit of weapons and the effort to dominate people and places by violence. Choosing another way is essential to protecting our communities and to the protection of life on our fragile earth.