The Black Ditch
Sensors and weapons empowered by artificial intelligence and machine learning made the narrow stretch of water between the Mainland and Taiwan a treacherous passage.
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AI Surprise in the Black Ditch

“Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Arthur C. Clarke

“Thankfully, our advances in artificial intelligence remained several steps ahead of our adversaries’, which removed any temptation to employ autonomous systems in a manner inconsistent with our ethical approach to warfare . . . “
U.S. Pacific Command after-action report, June 2027
By Admiral James A. Winnefeld, U.S. Navy (Retired)
January 2021
Proceedings
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~~~~~~Internal alarm: scheduled wake up!

Tonight’s wakeup was a routine event held every two weeks during peacetime operations. ADDER #08-023’s low-power B processor activated her preheater for thirty seconds, then brought her “expert system” processor online and conducted a brief diagnostic test. 

Time to consult the task buffer . . . nothing on my list other than a check-in with SpiderNet08, along with 27 acoustic signatures to forward. 

During her sleep periods, her B processor listened for external alarms and managed any signatures detected by her sensitive acoustic arrays. In addition to maintaining a ledger of all observed maritime traffic and recording certain detailed signatures for transmission, it was programmed to recognize any contacts for which SpiderNet08 required an immediate report. The B processor did its part to help save #08-023’s most precious commodity: battery life.

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[1] The formula was TPR = 1 – (1-ATPR)(1-OTPR)

Admiral James A. Winnefeld, U.S. Navy (Retired)

Admiral Winnefeld was the 9th Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff before retiring from the Navy in 2015. He has written for Proceedings since he was a midshipman in the NROTC Unit at Georgia Tech, and he currently serves on the Naval Institute's Board of Directors. 

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