Not with a Bug, But with a Sticker

Chapter 6Sailing for Adventure on the Deep Blue Sea

Jason's quest is a Panhellenic tale as old as time. Guided by Athena, the goddess of Wisdom, Jason sails on the Argo with an all-star team of 50 Greek heroes, including the likes of Hercules and Orpheus, seeking the golden fleece.

Named after the intrepid traveler, the JASON advisory group is a star-studded team of Nobel laureates, scientists, and professors that advises the U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) on strategic topics. The DoD tasks this distinguished group of experts to investigate thorny issues in national security—everything from hypersonic missiles to quantum mechanics to the U.S. census—and JASON comes back recommendations. The group typically begins meeting in the summer each year, yet it's only an amusing coincidence that JASON acronymizes July, August, September, October, and November. The entire JASON group has an aura of mystery around it: you cannot apply to be a JASON member; you are recruited into the advisory group by other JASON members. JASON members observe an impressive omertà and actively hide from the limelight, letting their work speak for itself. Like the Greek myth, there are around 50 active members in the group.

The DoD has always been interested in AI. Even from its early days, AI was destined to become a tool for geopolitical, technological, and military advantage. But after the impressive results in the ImageNet competition and the compelling victory of AlphaGo over professional player ...