The Times of India reports that “In its quest to maintain a US military advantage, the Pentagon is aggressively turning to Silicon Valley’s hottest technology – artificial intelligence.  

“On Wednesday, Secretary of Defense Ash Carter made his fourth trip to the tech industry’s heartland since being named to his post last year. Before that, it had been 20 years since a defense secretary had visited the area, he noted in a speech at a Defense Department research facility near Google’s headquarters.  

“The Pentagon’s intense interest in AI – and by connection the Silicon Valley companies specializing in that technology – has grown out of the ‘Third Offset’ strategy articulated by Carter last fall. Concerned about the re-emergence of China and Russia as military competitors, he stated that computer-based, high-tech weapons would give the US military an edge in the future.”