Mark Cuban at a basketball game in Chicago in 2022. Billionaire investor Mark Cuban warned the stakes couldn’t be higher for the U.S. in the global competition for leadership in artificial intelligence.
In an interview on CNBC Thursday , he was asked if the federal government’s prioritization of certain investments as part of an industrial policy was a mistake.
“Our military dominance, our place in the world depends on our ability to invest in AI. Period. End of story,” he said. “Whoever wins AI has the best military. There’s no question about it.”
While private companies and the Defense Department are investing in AI, it’s still not enough and even more needs to be done, Cuban added.
America’s pillars of geopolitical and financial strength will depend on the outcome of the AI race.
“We cannot lose that battle, or we lose everything,” he warned. “That defines our currency. It defines how we compete in the world. It defines our military. So investing in that is critical.”
The comments come as Vice President Kamala Harris, whose presidential campaign has Cuban’s support , has been providing more details about her economic agenda.
In a speech on Wednesday in Pittsburgh, she called for more investment in key industries like semiconductors and clean energy. Afterward, Cuban praised the speech and also highlighted AI’s importance to the U.S. military.
“She talked, most importantly to me, she talked about new technologies and pushing forward AI,” he told the Washington Post . “You can talk about military all you want, but if we don’t have the best AI in the universe, we’re in trouble.”Meanwhile, Silicon Valley venture capital firms are paying more attention to the emerging field of defense tech . Last month, startup incubator Y Combinator made its first investment in a weapons maker , Ares Industries, which promises to make anti-ship missiles that are 10-fold smaller and cheaper than what’s currently available.And more established companies like data-mining software maker Palantir is becoming a mainstream investment , as more governments, militaries, and companies deploy its AI-powered platforms.AI’s impact on the military has also been flashing on former Google CEO Eric Schmidt’s radar. In […]
Mark Cuban warns the U.S. must win the AI race ‘or we lose everything’
