December, 2024

• 19 December

  LUCY IN THE CHOCOLATE FACTORY: ON THE INEVITABILITY OF KILLER MACHINES

  

  Who do you think you are / Ha ha ha, bless your soul / You really think you’re in control — “Crazy,” Gnarls Barkley It is popular to argue that the future of artificial intelligence (AI) is “humans with AI” (HWAI), which Harvard Business School Professor Karim Lakhani neatly summarized: …

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• 19 December

  BEYOND BELIEF: THE IMPERATIVE TO DEVELOP EMPOWERED MILITARY AI

  

  Advanced AI seems to tap into some primal human fears. An empowered military AI (EMAI) that independently makes lethal decisions is scary. Ancient mythology is full of stories of creators being destroyed by their creations, as when the Olympian Gods overthrew the Titans. Killer machines are a mainstay of science …

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• 19 December

  BEYOND INTUITION: AI’S ROLE IN STRATEGIC DECISION-MAKING

  

  In September 2024, Andrew Hill and Steve Gerras authored a compelling three-part series that explored the evolving role of artificial intelligence (AI) in national defense. They provocatively argued that the conventional wisdom is wrong: human intuition is not indispensable, even though we might all wish it were. Recognizing the significance …

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• 19 December

  Spotlight on Syria (Following the
  Toppling of the Syrian Regime)
  December 9 – 16 , 2024

  The new transitional government in Syria, headed by Mohammad al-Bashir, began itsactivities after the transfer of powers from the last government of the al-Assad regime. Amongits first decisions were the deployment of police forces in major cities and the prohibition ofsmoking and drinking alcohol. E_268_24-1Download

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• 19 December

  ‘The Factions Will be Dissolved’: Jolani Pushes to Disband Rebel and Pro-Assad Armed Groups in Syria

  

  Latest Developments Al-Sharaa Pushes for Unity Amongst Rebel Factions: Hayat Tahrir al-Sham (HTS) leader Ahmad al-Sharaa, better known by the nom de guerre Abu Mohammad al-Jolani, announced on December 17 that Syria’s rebel “factions will be dissolved, and the fighters will be integrated into the Ministry of Defense.” Al-Sharaa also …

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• 19 December

  Israël approuve un plan d’expansion des colonies sur le plateau du Golan

  

  Le gouvernement Netanyahou a approuvé un plan pour étendre les colonies sur le plateau du Golan, motivé par le contexte de guerre en Syrie et la volonté de doubler la population israélienne sur place, selon The Jerusalem Post. Le gouvernement israélien a approuvé ce dimanche 15 décembre un plan d’expansion …

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• 18 December

  Russian Offensive Campaign Assessment, December 16, 2024

  

  Russian President Vladimir Putin’s continued fixation on the Russian “Oreshnik” ballistic missile and Russia’s non-nuclear deterrents suggests that the Kremlin may be searching for off-ramps from its continued nuclear saber-rattling narrative. Putin addressed the Russian Ministry of Defense (MoD) board on December 16 and discussed Russian military developments in 2024 …

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• 18 December

  Iran Update, December 16, 2024

  

  The HTS-controlled interim government is continuing to reconcile with former members of the Syrian Arab Army (SAA). The Russian-backed SAA 5th Corps in Lattakia is reportedly negotiating with the interim government to “merge its forces” into the new Syrian army.[1] Integrating members of other armed groups, including the SAA, into …

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• 18 December

  Les États-Unis vers un national-capitalisme autoritaire ?

  

  La réélection de Donald Trump marque un tournant pour les États-Unis. Ses premières mesures et ses promesses de campagne sous-tendent déjà une mutation du pays vers un modèle profondément autoritaire et nationaliste, censé promouvoir une nouvelle variété de capitalisme tissant des liens étroits avec le pouvoir politique. Un exercice du …

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• 18 December

  Les « pétrosavoirs », alliés des climatosceptiques contre les énergies renouvelables

  

  Derrière l’insolent succès des ouvrages climatosceptiques en France, c’est une véritable guerre culturelle qui se joue. Son enjeu ? Les connaissances relatives à l’énergie. On y trouve notamment les « pétrosavoirs », portés par l’industrie fossile, qui font tout pour rendre inaudibles les bonnes nouvelles relatives aux énergies renouvelables. Il …

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