The U.S. Nuclear Weapons Launch System, Dead Hand, and AI | The Rob Maness Show EP 331

“In the minutes after a launch detection or nuclear detonation, would America’s nuclear command, control, and communications system enable the president to make a timely and accurate decision to retaliate? We do not know.” That is the very first line from a recent article from the National Institute for Deterrence Studies. We have raised concerns on this show often about our country’s questionable ability to deter Russia and China considering technology developments such as both countries successful fielding of nuclear capable hypersonic missiles because response timelines in a protentional nuclear war exchange are now very compressed compared to those our nuclear command and control system was developed and fielded to handle. The article recommends use of artificial intelligence to speed up our decision-making process as a “dead-hand” system. Any mention of AI use in a critical system such as nuclear forces and command, control, and communications raises serious questions that must be answered before moving forward. One of the authors of this thought-provoking article is my guest today. Retired Colonel Curtis McGiffin is the vice president for education at the National Institute for Deterrence Studies and a visiting assistant professor at Missouri State University.