Quantum Artificial Intelligence- Implications for National Security

Under the S&T series, the VIF organised a talk on “Quantum Artificial Intelligence (QAI): Implications for National Security” by Wg Cdr Srambikal Sudhakaran (Retd), CEO and Co-founder of QuGates Technologies, on 19 November 2024. The talk focussed on the emergence of QAI and its implications for national security, India’s stand in the Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) singularity race, consequences of AGI and its impact on national autonomy, AI development model, importance of strategic investment, and the need for India to build its capabilities to become a leader in the AGI landscape. Wg. Cdr Sudhakaran spotlighted strategic significance of understanding the implications of AGI and QAI as India aspires to become a global power. Currently, national discourse is largely limited to narrow AI applications, leaving a gap in strategic consideration for AGI, particularly concerning is its potential singularity threshold. He underlined that the formulation of a national doctrine addressing AGI and indigenous development of the technology is imperative, as the preservation of digital sovereignty may depend on controlling such advanced technologies. Without this control, national sovereignty could be significantly compromised. Director, Dr Arvind Gupta chaired the session. Senior government officials, technological leads from industry, startups and members from the strategic community participated in the discussion who explored the strategic and security implications of the technology.

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is intelligence by computation, intelligence by cognition, and intelligence by comparison. While AGI singularity refers to the creation of machines that can understand, learn and perform any intellectual tasks equal to or better than humans. AI and AGI differ largely in their functionalities and use. AI is used in all sorts of applications today, whereas AGI has not yet become a reality. So, the applied AI is not foundational AGI. However, the real definition of AI has been distorted and the wrong AI model is followed. If AI objectives are wrong, one would play the wrong game in the wrong venue. In a future characterized by AGI singularity, warfare may evolve to emphasize “combat at Zero Human Loss” leveraging technologies that minimize human involvement. Furthermore, “cognition as a service” could emerge as a dominant model in next-generation cloud computing, fundamentally altering the landscape of security and military strategy. Notably, the General AI has the capability to self-replicate, evolve, and design advanced technologies like quantum computers.

The Quantum Artificial Intelligence (QAI) refers to the integration of Quantum Computing and AI. The QAI combines the principles of these two emerging technologies and has the potential to revolutionize various fields like Data Processing, Machine Learning (ML), and Optimization. The quantum computing operates on qubits, which can represent multiple states simultaneously (superposition), unlike classical computing that operates on binary bits (0 and 1). The QAI uses the principles of quantum mechanics to process and analyse vast amount of data faster. Hence, with the application of quantum technology to AI tasks, such as data analysis, ML, and decision-making, it would become significant for the potential breakthroughs in computation and intelligence. Importantly, the QAI has the potential to solve complex problems, improve efficiency & speed, and enhance machine learning, leading to more advanced AI models and quicker decision-making. It was observed that QAI, through mechanisms such as “QAI Resonance”– the synergy of quantum hardware and evolutionary AI algorithms – might lead to the development of sentient and conscious systems. The Quantum AGI regime can attack communication and information systems having major ramifications for national security.

It was pointed out that a country or a big tech company which first achieves AGI singularity using QAI will dominate globally. It will do so by actively preventing others from crossing the threshold through pre-emptive measures. The AGI singularity will lead to monopolization of intelligence and power, thereby reducing other nations to mere consumers, eroding technological sovereignty and self-reliance. Most importantly, QAI driven AGI will render traditional defence technologies – nuclear weapons, missiles, submarines, warships, and cybersecurity systems – obsolete. Autonomous QAI systems can exploit vulnerabilities in legacy systems, neutralizing them remotely. While a country with AGI singularity will control all communications and decision-making processes globally. Other countries without AGI are expected to become digitally enslaved, with surveillance and manipulation by external entities being unavoidable.

India has emerged as the 5th largest economy in the world. It is expected to become 3rd largest economy by the end of this decade. So, when it reaches that stage, it is expected to face increasing challenges in terms of cybercrime where new generation technologies like AI and Quantum will play critical role. But without AGI, the current cybersecurity measures will become ineffective, with critical infrastructure and sensitive data become vulnerable to unprecedented breaches. India’s dependence on foreign QAI frameworks will compromise its ability to sustain an independent economy and control critical sectors. Therefore, a country controlling QAI will wield disproportionate influence over global decision-making. Without indigenous QAI capabilities, India’s national security and digital sovereignty could be compromised, with external AGI systems dictating terms.

The major powers led by their Big Tech companies are in race to achieve QAI singularity, which will cause geopolitical instability as they compete for dominance. India risks being left behind without a cohesive and immediate strategy for indigenous QAI development and adoption plan. Currently, India’s AI capabilities are lacking in strategic depth. The lack of fundamental research and focus on technology trading has hindered progress in developing foundational technologies. India cannot secure its critical defence and strategic sectors by technology import dependency. As its economic and technological powers grow, India needs to develop its own technologies to secure its systems and national security. However, denial of the potential dangers of AI can have significant consequences, as seen with nuclear technology.

In addition, entry barriers for local tech startups are high due to the dominance of foreign platforms like Google, Facebook, and Twitter. Therefore, for addressing the QAI’s growing challenges to nation’s economic, digital, defence and personal security, it is critically important for indigenisation of QAI technology, which has become strategic necessity and existential compulsion. So far as the technological landscape of QAI is concerned, while QAI offers immense opportunities, there are several challenges that need to be overcome to realise its true potential, including developing quantum hardware, noise and error correction techniques, quantum algorithm, and access to QAI technology for wider application. Nevertheless, the integration of the computational power of quantum computing with the intelligence of AI, QAI set to revolutionise various sectors including finance, health, defence and national security.

Therefore, India must consider the ramifications of QAI technological revolution and invest in research and policy frameworks to ensure that it is not left behind. Preparing for the potential realities of AGI and QAI is not only a strategic imperative but also a necessary step to safeguard national interests in an increasingly complex global landscape. The development of QAI is crucial for India’s digital sovereignty and to stay relevant in the technology race. In this regard, it needs to establish a National Commission on Digital Super Intelligence to guide QAI development and safeguard national interests. India needs to be proactive in addressing the threats posed by QAI and protect its data. It needs to develop indigenous social media project to take control of information and to create a peer-to-peer network as an alternate solution to Twitter. There is need to develop a comprehensive National Strategy for QAI and establish a National Mission for QAI led AGI to research foundational AGI frameworks integrated with quantum technologies. The objective should be to achieve quantum supremacy and AGI supremacy for technological leadership. Notably, India has the capability, plan and ability to execute a plan to mitigate the threats by embarking on an indigenous technology development programme. But there is requirement of policy support, compliance simplification and financial support from the government.