Book talk: The Double Black Box: National Security, Artificial Intelligence, and the Struggle for Democratic Accountability

Rapid advances in artificial intelligence are increasingly vital to national security operations. The United States, China, and other states seek to harness these tools to bolster their own military and intelligence superiority. Yet their advent exacerbates an existing paradox within our democracy: some of the most consequential decisions made in the name of national security are often the least transparent and accountable – and the use of AI makes this problem worse.

In her new book, “The Double Black Box”, Ashley Deeks unpacks this pressing challenge. She examines how we can ensure democratic accountability, legality, and effectiveness in the use of artificial intelligence tools within national security processes, and which traditional and nontraditional checks on the executive branch might be brought to bear on the use of national security AI.

Harvard Law School Professor Kristen Eichensehr will hold a conversation with Deeks about the book, unpacking its arguments and inviting the audience into the discussion.

Copies of Deeks’ book will be sold at the event.