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Exclusive | Biden, Xi set to pledge ban on AI in autonomous weapons like drones, nuclear warhead control: sources
- Potential dangers of AI expected to be major focus of Wednesday’s meeting on margins of Apec summit in San Francisco
- Keeping a ‘human in the loop’ in nuclear command and control is essential given the problems seen so far with AI, observer says
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In a landmark agreement set to be announced at Wednesday’s much-awaited bilateral meeting, Presidents Joe Biden and Xi Jinping are poised to pledge a ban on the use of artificial intelligence in autonomous weaponry, such as drones, and in the control and deployment of nuclear warheads, two sources familiar with the matter confirmed to the Post.
The potential dangers of AI are expected to be a major focus of the US-China discussions, taking place on the sidelines of this year’s Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation summit in San Francisco.
Both Washington and Beijing have expressed concerns over the unregulated use of this technology to fuel conflicts.
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In February, for instance, the United States introduced its Political Declaration on the Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy, a new legal and diplomatic framework that seeks a global consensus on the development and deployment of military AI.
So far, 36 countries have backed the initiative, pledging to come together next year to explore ways to implement and improve new regulations on the matter.
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In October, the Biden administration also announced requirements for the approval of advanced AI products. Under the new rules, such initiatives must receive federal government certification, ensuring they cannot be repurposed for creating biological or nuclear weapons.
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