Pentagon’s quest to exploit academic research on emerging technologies – artificial intelligence, robotics, and hypersonics

Massachusetts Peace Action e-mail of Monday Apr 3 2023

 

Speakers:

 

Michael Klare will report on his research on the Pentagon’s quest to exploit academic research on emerging technologies – artificial intelligence, robotics, and hypersonics, among others – for military purposes. To acquire this knowledge and employ it for military purposes, the Pentagon is establishing outposts on these and other campuses, and; their personnel in university labs and classrooms. This invasion threatens to distort academic research and convert top universities into tools of the Pentagon. A vigorous debate is therefore needed on the moral and ethical consequences of the military use of academic know-how.

 

Indigo Olivier will report on her research on the engineering degree to defense industry pipeline. Decades of disinvestment in public higher education have resulted in dwindling university budgets and ballooning student debt. Through scholarships, sponsored research, and a robust campus presence, the defense industry has been able to funnel some of the nation’s top scientific talent into weapons development. Olivier will discuss how our national budget priorities have influenced academic research and what these defense industry partnerships look like on the ground.