Crown City Magazine: Local Author’s NEW Book Algorithms of Armageddon
Posted in Blog,Book News,Devastating InnovationMay 5, 2025Comments Off on Crown City Magazine: Local Author’s NEW Book Algorithms of Armageddon

Some time ago, the Crown City Magazine team interviewed retired U.S. Navy Captain George Galdorisi about his book, Fire and Ice. This month, we spoke with him about artificial intelligence, the technology that is the subject of his most recent book, Algorithms of Armageddon: The Impact of Artificial Intelligence on Future Wars, published by the U.S. Naval Institute Press and released this spring.
To say that artificial intelligence (AI) is a technology that has dominated the news over the past several years is an understatement. Unfortunately, there are a few issues today where there is more heat than light. Galdorisi explained that the subject of artificial intelligence has triggered not only intense interest, but also (often shrill) opinions from voices pro and con regarding what AI might do in our society, let alone how it might change warfare as we know it.
We wanted to follow up with him regarding how and why what is happening in the AI-realm has evolved so rapidly over the past few years, so we asked George this basic question: Could anyone have predicted some of the headline-grabbing events surrounding AI that have occurred in just the past few months?
He noted that “A1 technology has dominated the media over the last year in ways that few could have envisioned. We have seen the controversy regarding generative AI such as ChatGPT, Bard, and Bing, and especially their promise and their peril. Additionally, we have seen some calls for a complete pause in AI development.”
He went on to explain, “This frenzy to ‘rein in’ AI has reached a fever pitch with many influencers calling for a brake on AI development. Geoffrey Hinton, widely recognized as the ‘Godfather of AI,’ quit his job at Google to ‘freely speak out about the risks of AI.’ Among other statements, Hinton said: ‘AI technologies pose profound risks to society and humanity.’”
Galdorisi added: “Perhaps no tech leader has been more vocal regarding the dangers of AI than Elon Musk, who opines across multiple media.”
Musk expressed worry about the state of the AI race, noting that an open letter signed by nearly 200 technology leaders and researchers that urged companies to pause development of powerful AI systems for at least six months to prevent profound risks to society, “was a cautionary message and deserved to be out there.” Later in the interview, Pixhai declared, “We are working with a technology that has the potential to cause harm in a deep way.”
Responding to these concerns, our national leaders have weighed in. A New York Times article noted that the Biden administration “is confronting the rapidly expanding use of artificial intelligence, warning of the dangers the technology poses to public safety, privacy and democracy while having limited authority to regulate it.”
Galdorisi noted, “Unsurprisingly, the fears that AI will usher in dystopian scenarios has once again made its way into popular culture, with the 2023 streaming series, Mrs. Davis, whose high concept revolves around a future society where humans outsource their brain work to machines and calamity ensues. Reviewers called the series ‘intriguing’ and noted that they were ‘hooked.’ This exemplifies the depth of the fears of AI.”
Against this backdrop of concerns regarding AI in the civilian sector, we asked George how this controversy translates into the military realm. He answered, “That’s a great question. When it comes to the issue of inserting AI into military platforms, systems, sensors and weapons the arguments pro and con regarding AI go into overdrive. While some are of the opinion that the United States must win the AI arms race with our peer competitors, China and Russia, others make the argument that the U.S. military will lose control of its AI-enabled tools and that disaster will ensue.”
He went on to add: “Fortunately, senior leaders in the Department of Defense have been proactive in reminding the American public of the existential threat peer competitors with AI-enabled military forces pose if the U.S. military cannot counter them with similar platforms, systems, sensors and weapons. In an address at the Reagan National Defense Forum, U.S. Secretary of Defense Lloyd Austin stated that: ‘DoD wants to successfully lead the AI Revolution.’ Deputy Secretary of Defense, Dr. Kathleen Hicks, emphasized the importance of AI technologies for the U.S. military to: ‘Provide operational commanders with data-driven technologies, including artificial intelligence, machine learning and automation.’”
Going further, Galdorisi noted: “A front-page article in The New York Times quoted the Pentagon’s chief information officer, John Sherman, regarding the national security imperative to continue AI development, with Sherman stating: ‘If we stop, guess who’s not going to stop: potential adversaries overseas. We’ve got to keep moving. The Chinese won’t wait, and neither will the Russians.’”
Given the wide spectrum of arguments regarding the U.S. military employing AI-enabled weapons, we asked George if he thought that there are things that all of us, as citizens, should do.
“Yes I do,” he concluded. “America needs a national dialogue to determine the risks and rewards of AI-development, and a large part of that discussion should be focused on the need for the U.S. military to have access to the latest AI-enabled technology to provide for the security and prosperity of the American people. An informed and engaged public can be a powerful tool to ensure that this occurs.”
George reminded us that in addition to writing books, he likes nothing more than connecting with readers. You can follow him on Facebook and Twitter, and learn more about his books, blogs and other writing on his website: georgegaldorisi.com.