About 60 countries, including the United States, have endorsed a new “action plan” on the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military, presented at a summit in South Korea. However, about 30 states, including China, refrained from signing this document, although they participated in the event. About this informs DW.
The document defines guiding principles that emphasize that the use of AI in the military sphere should be “ethical and human-centered.” It also emphasizes the importance of risk assessment and maintaining human control over the use of artificial intelligence.
“Appropriate human involvement in the development, deployment, and use of AI in the military must be maintained, including appropriate measures for human judgment and control over the use of force.”, the document says.
The summit in Seoul was convened to discuss topical issues such as Ukraine’s use of AI-enabled drones. Among other things, the importance of preventing the use of AI for the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction, particularly by terrorist organizations, was discussed.
Among the countries that signed the document were Ukraine and several NATO members, including France, Germany and Great Britain. Russia, due to its aggression against Ukraine, was not invited to the summit and, accordingly, did not participate in the signing.
The Seoul summit was the second since the first meeting in The Hague last year, at which some 60 countries, including China, endorsed a more general “call to action” without binding provisions.
Prospects for a bigger deal
The Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, Ruben Brakelmans, said that this year the participants of the summit took more concrete steps compared to last year.
“We are taking further concrete steps. Last year we focused more on building common understanding, now we are moving closer to action.” he noted. At the same time, the minister emphasized that it will be difficult to involve all countries in the process.
Some experts caution against progressing too quickly. Giacomo Percy Paoli, head of the Security and Technology Program at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), warned that too much haste could deter some countries from participating in such initiatives.
The summit was jointly organized by the Netherlands, Singapore, Kenya and Great Britain, which ensured a multilateral format for discussions without the dominance of individual countries or organizations.
