Former White House and US Department of War official Doug MacKinnon has warned that the United States may already have entered what could be described as a “Fourth World War”, and may be losing it because of its growing dependence on technology to operate its cities and critical infrastructure.
In an opinion article published by The Hill, MacKinnon argued that America’s adversaries may move beyond the traditional nuclear destruction associated with a hypothetical Third World War and instead seek superiority through innovative offensive and cyber weapons.
In his article, titled “Has the United States Already Entered World War IV and Is Losing It?”, MacKinnon said a major adversary such as China could launch a large-scale cyberattack capable of paralysing US infrastructure without having to destroy it with missiles or nuclear weapons.
Doug MacKinnon: In an era of absolute dependence on artificial intelligence, assets and cities that rely on less sophisticated technology may be the only ones capable of surviving.
A Scenario of Widespread Cyber Paralysis
MacKinnon outlined a hypothetical scenario in which Chinese military leadership relies on advanced cyberattacks to disable water and electricity networks, penetrate the US financial system, and bring transport and aviation to a complete standstill by infiltrating traffic and air navigation systems.
The scenario also includes disabling satellites and circulating highly realistic AI-generated fake videos to confuse the public and undermine Americans’ confidence in their leadership.
This would then be followed, according to the scenario, by the deployment of millions of drones to suppress any resistance and force complete surrender.
MacKinnon stressed that such fears should not be dismissed as science fiction.
He cited recent reports indicating that water networks and other infrastructure in several US states had been exposed to fires and digital attacks.
He also referred to a 2018 report by the US Government Accountability Office that warned of serious cyber vulnerabilities across most major American weapons systems.
Technology as a Strategic Vulnerability
MacKinnon concluded that in an era of near-total dependence on artificial intelligence, cities and strategic assets that rely on less complex technology may ultimately prove more resilient and better able to survive.
The former official argued that Washington’s drive towards comprehensive automation, digital currencies and smart vehicles is increasing the number of vulnerabilities that hostile powers could exploit.
He ended his article with the question: “World War IV or a robot war, which one could bring us down first?”
