The article argues that recent executive overreach and politicization have severely undermined established norms of U.S. civil-military relations. To restore professional standards, the incoming Congress must actively exercise its oversight powers, moving beyond mere criticism to demanding transparency in defense policy and personnel decisions. Key reforms include enforcing meritocratic promotion processes, requiring documented justification for senior officer removals, and preventing the partisan use of the military. These actions are crucial for bolstering public trust and ensuring the military remains a nonpartisan instrument of civilian control.
Two Books on the Digital Revolution
English Summary
The digital revolution, exemplified by the histories of Apple and DeepMind, is fundamentally transforming global society through powerful technologies like AI and social media. While these innovations offer immense potential, the article warns that their influence is not benign, creating significant social and existential risks. Consequently, governments face the urgent policy challenge of regulating these powerful tools. Policy must intervene to guide AI development toward benefiting science and society, rather than allowing it to be driven solely by commercial interests or unchecked power.
中文摘要
以蘋果和DeepMind的發展歷史為例，數位革命正透過人工智慧（AI）和社群媒體等強大技術，從根本上改變全球社會。儘管這些創新帶來了巨大的潛能，但本文警告其影響並非良性，正在產生重大的社會和存在性風險。因此，各國政府面臨著迫切的政策挑戰，即如何規範這些強大工具。政策必須介入，引導AI的發展方向，使其能夠造福科學與社會，而非僅受商業利益或不受約束的權力所驅動。
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