Episode 10: (Part 1) Interview with Brigadier General R. Patrick Huston by LTC Cinnamon Chielens and MAJ JJ Wellemeyer on Artificial Intelligence, Deep Fake Technology, and the COVID-19 Pandemic

On today’s episode we have Brigadier General R. Patrick Huston, the Assistant Judge Advocate General for Military Law and Operations. BG Huston oversees international legal engagements, criminal prosecutions and government appeals for the Army. He also supervises the legal teams that provide advice on national security law, contract actions, administrative law and criminal law. He is focused on the legal and ethical development and use of artificial intelligence, autonomous weapons, cybersecurity and other emerging technologies. He also supports diversity and inclusion initiatives as part of talent management for the JAG Corps, one of the world's largest legal organizations.
Lieutenant Colonel Cinnamon Chielens and Major JJ Wellemeyer interviewed BG Huston via zoom to discuss three topics: Artificial Intelligence (AI), Deep Fake Technology, and lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic.
The episode is divided into three parts.
Part one covers Artificial Intelligence; its uses, common misconceptions, the importance of public/private partnerships, legal and ethical challenges, and advising commanders on the uses of AI.
Part two discusses Deep Fake technology, providing an overview, the risks involved, and protecting against deep fakes.
Part three discusses the lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic, and how the JAG Corps and Army moves forward with those lessons.
Below is a timeline of some of the subject-areas discussed during Part 1 (AI):
00:00 Introduction
00:56 AI Overview
01:51 Misconceptions about AI and its uses
05:21 Public/Private partnerships in the development of AI
06:28 Legal and ethical considerations of AI
08:07 AI and great power competition
Below is a timeline of some of the subject-areas discussed during Part 2 (Deep Fake Technology):
00:00 Introduction
00:10 Deep fake overview
00:41 Combatting “Truth Decay”
03:15 Deep fake threats and potential solutions
04:50 Critical thinking/analysis in combatting deep fake threats
Below is a timeline of some of the subject-areas discussed during Part 3 (COVID-19):
00:00 Introduction
00:09 Lessons learned from the COVID-19 pandemic
01:04 Courts and remote technology
02:27 Effects on the workplace
05:21 COVID-19 and autonomous systems
05:28 Closing Remarks
06:25 Book recommendations
08:03 End notes
If you’re interested in learning more about some of the topics covered during this episode, we recommend the following additional reading and resources:
Eric Schmidt: I Used to Run Google. Silicon Valley Could Lose to China.
BG Huston’s Book Recommendations:
“1776” by David McCullough
“Duffel Blog” edited by Randy Brown and Steve Leonard
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*Music by Joseph McDade
**The views expressed on the podcast are the views of the participants and do not necessarily represent those of The Judge Advocate General’s Legal Center and School, the Army, the Department of Defense, or any other agency of the US Government.