April32025
Ep7: Imagine that in the cold heart of a secret military facility, a new form of intelligence awakens. Learn all about these “Unknowable Minds” when author Dr. Mark Bailey is featured today at Elaine’s Literary Salon
Today at Elaine’s Literary Salon, meet Dr. Mark Bailey, who writes about the intersection between artificial intelligence, complexity, and national security. He is an Associate Professor at the National Intelligence University, where he is the Department Chair for Cyber Intelligence and Data Science, as well as the Director of the Data Science Intelligence Center.
His new book is Unknowable Minds: Philosophical Insights on AI and Autonomous Weapons.
“Imagine that in the cold heart of a secret military facility, a new form of intelligence awakens,” shares Mark. “It is a synthetic mind born from intricate algorithms and complex computations, operating in ways unfathomable to its human creators. Charged with safeguarding national security, this intelligence orchestrates strategies that defy human ethics and laws of war, leaving its creators both awed and unnerved.”
Unknowable Minds delves into the unsettling reality of entrusting our safety to an intelligence that lacks human essence. “As we navigate the Age of Artificial Intelligence, these systems — powering everything from our smartphones to military defenses — remain inherently opaque and unpredictable,” says Mark, explaining that the book explores how AI differs from any technology we’ve ever developed, its inherent complexities, and the profound risks it poses to our future.
About the book: Mark draws on philosophy, AI theory, and national security insights. This book offers a thought-provoking examination of AI’s potential and peril. From the complexities of neural networks to the unpredictable nature of emergent behaviors, Unknowable Minds challenges us to rethink our relationship with AI and its role in the theater of global security.
Mark asks: “Can we control an unknowable intellect, or will it redefine human existence? As we stand on the precipice of unprecedented technological advancement, understanding and navigating the unknowable minds of artificial intelligence becomes a quest fraught with extraordinary challenges and existential questions.”
Click here to learn more about Mark: drmmbailey.com
Click here to buy the book: unknowableminds.com
Be sure to watch today’s episode of Elaine’s Literary Salon, hosted by award-winning author and restauranteur Jeffery James Higgins. And have a meal, a martini, and an inspiring author-filled evening when you attend all of the Literary Salon events at Elaine’s in Old Town Alexandria, VA: elaines-restaurant.com.
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And meet the PR Director for Elaine’s Literary Salon, InkandescentPR.com’s founder, Hope Katz Gibbs. With her team of award-winning journalists, illustrators and video producers, they help writers up their PR and marketing game with professionally produced podcasts on 
