Automating Nuclear Threats: A Growing Concern in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

Nine countries possess nuclear weapons, and geopolitical competition is intensifying rivalries between nuclear-armed powers. The collapse of arms control agreements has created an environment where the threat of nuclear war is increasingly plausible. North Korea continues to expand its arsenal and delivery systems, while China is on a trajectory to increase its number of warheads from around 600 today to approximately 1,500 by 2035. Russia bears most of the responsibility for the expiration of New START and is developing new nuclear delivery systems designed to circumvent missile defenses, including nuclear-powered and nuclear-armed cruise missiles and underwater drones.