In the clear, blue sky 50,000 feet above Shaw Air Force Base in South Carolina, two F-16 Fighting Falcons square off in a dogfight. Although it may seem like a common drill to the average observer, what makes this particular test unusual is that only one of the two planes is controlled by a pilot. The other is powered by artificial intelligence, known as AI. In this unprecedented drill, the Air Force’s experimental self-flying fighter takes on a jet flown by a human pilot at speeds up to 1,200 miles per hour. It successfully performs nose-to-nose passes and vertical maneuvers, and forces the opposing jet into vulnerable positions.  But Project Venom, the name of the Air Force initiative to launch unmanned aircraft, is only a glimpse into the way AI is revolutionizing military technology. From systems that allow missiles to seek out hidden targets in thick canopy with alarming precision to quantum computers with the potential to crack the encryption algorithms that practically all computers use, AI is taking the defense world by storm.  The problem is, America is running behind in the global race for AI supremacy. According to a report released by the data analytics company Govini, America is falling behind China in investing in practical AI capabilities. Although the Defense Department has increased its spending on AI by 150% in the past few years, most of this money goes toward research and development. Since AI is an emerging industry, it’s easy to envision its future capabilities without cultivating current applications. However, since China’s recent surges in military aggression near Taiwan signal that war may be more imminent than thought, it’s important that America change its AI strategy to be prepared for such a breakout war involving China.  While the Pentagon is stuck in research and development, China’s People’s Liberation Army is engineering AI-powered weaponry to challenge Americans in a conflict. In strategic areas where China now falls short of the U.S., Beijing views AI as its opportunity to regain an advantage.  “The PLA seems most focused on procuring AI for intelligence analysis, predictive maintenance, information warfare, and navigation and target recognition in autonomous vehicles,” says a report in October 2021 from Georgetown University’s Center for Security and Emerging Technology.  Reports from China show that Beijing matches Pentagon spending on AI, but China’s strategy of civil-military fusion makes it impossible to know how much the communist regime truly spends. Unlike in U.S. industry, Chinese companies must work with the Chinese Communist Party to merge their technology systems in support of national defense. Given that by 2027 China’s top 2,000 companies will allocate over 50% of core information-technology spending on AI initiatives, American policymakers should be worried about falling behind.  China has the ability to direct massive spending toward artificial intelligence and other dual-use research and technology. The U.S. government won’t be able to compete if it fails to massively leverage the nation’s commercial sector. This lesson applies across the board regarding defense innovation. The Chinese space industry might well be ahead of the American space industry if the U.S. government had restricted its efforts to NASA. Instead, leveraging the commercial abilities of American companies such as SpaceX has kept the United States competitive and prevented the Chinese from gaining a technological edge. If America is to stay ahead of China in artificial intelligence, our private sector will be the deciding factor. The Defense Department’s AI chief, Radha Plumb, apparently agrees, saying: “The pointy end of the spear on this AI technology development is coming from private companies, often with commercial or dual-use cases in mind.” As is always the case, emerging technologies will play a key role in future conflicts, so it’s imperative that America stays ahead. The post As AI Revolutionizes Military Defense, America Must Stay Ahead of China appeared first on The Daily Signal.

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In a follow-up congressional hearing on the assassination attempt on Trump, the FBI revealed a surprising twist regarding Thomas Crooks’ social media. That is that he may have been a far-right terrorist. The update comes after the FBI unearthed a social media account that it claims may be tied to Crooks. The account left around 700 comments between 2019 and 2020 and appeared to reflect “anti-Semitic and anti-immigration themes.” “Some of these comments, if ultimately attributable to the shooter, appear to reflect antisemitic and anti-immigration themes, to espouse political violence and are described as extreme in nature,” FBI Deputy Director Paul Abbate said. Sara Gonzales of “Sara Gonzales Unfiltered” isn’t convinced. “I’m just wondering, do you trust the FBI?” She asks. “Do you trust the FBI’s anti-Semitism narrative?” Gonzales then notes that Crooks had donated to ActBlue, an organization that funds Democrats, and was in a BlackRock commercial. But Crooks' background isn’t the only thing that makes Gonzales skeptical of the narrative the FBI is now attempting to push. “Do we trust the FBI to not feed us a narrative that they want to use against us, because this is the same FBI who is investigating grandmas who waved their American flags, who [were] led in, sent on a guided tour by Capitol Police on January 6,” Gonzales says. “This is the same FBI who are calling parents domestic terrorists who show up at school board meetings. This is the same FBI who’s raiding pro-life protesters homes. This is the same FBI who raided Mar-a-Lago over some classified documents,” she continues, adding, “Do you trust them to not just feed you a narrative that is against half of the country?” Want more from Sara Gonzales?To enjoy more of Sara's no-holds-barred take to news and culture, subscribe to BlazeTV — the largest multi-platform network of voices who love America, defend the Constitution, and live the American dream.

Carrie Underwood is returning to "American Idol" after winning the contest 20 years ago in order to be a judge on the show. The country superstar will replace Katy Perry, who has been on the judging panel for seven years. 'I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching.' The announcement was made Thursday by Craig Erwich, the president of Disney Television Group. "This upcoming season marks 20 years since Carrie won America’s hearts on ‘Idol’ and launched her successful multi-GRAMMY Award-winning career. As a former Idol and dynamic musical force, she brings a remarkably unique perspective to one of the most popular shows on television," he said. "This is a full-circle moment both for the show and audiences at home who have been tuning in for over two decades," he added. "Welcome home, Carrie."Underwood has previously returned to the show in smaller roles, including as a mentor and also as a performer in its 2022 finale. She will sit at the judging panel next to Lionel Richie and Luke Bryan for Season 23. "I went from nobody knowing my name to tens of millions of people watching the show," she said in a video about her return to Idol. "I’m proud of everything I was able to accomplish on the show, and I’m so proud of everything I’ve accomplished since."The popular singer made headlines in 2021 when many on the left tried to cancel her for merely "liking" a tweet that criticized the "cruel and indefensible mask mandate for children." She had previously poked fun at former Presidents Barack Obama and Donald Trump during separate appearances at the Country Music Awards. Like Blaze News? Bypass the censors, sign up for our newsletters, and get stories like this direct to your inbox. Sign up here!

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Illustration by Alex Castro / The Verge Although there’s no fix for Intel’s crashing 13th and 14th Gen Intel Core processors, the company is trying to make things somewhat better for customers who are stuck with potentially damaged chips by extending their warranty for two additional years. “Intel is committed to making sure all customers who have or are currently experiencing instability symptoms on their 13th and / or 14th Gen desktop processors are supported in the exchange process,” reads a statement from Intel’s Thomas Hannaford to The Verge. “We stand behind our products, and in the coming days we will be sharing more details on two-year extended warranty support for our boxed Intel Core 13th and 14th Gen desktop processors.” Intel’s boxed CPUs already have a three-year... Continue reading…

Jeffrey Clark, a former Justice Department attorney who was part of former President Donald Trump's challenge of the 2020 election should be barred from practicing law for two years, a Washington, D.C., disciplinary ruled Thursday.