US, China, other nations urge ‘responsible’ use of military artificial intelligence
- Netherlands hosts first international conference on responsible military uses of AI
- US puts forward its own framework; China recommends working through the UN
More than 60 countries including the United States and China signed a modest “call to action” endorsing the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military.
Human rights experts and academics noted Thursday’s statement was not legally binding and failed to address concerns like AI-guided drones, ‘slaughterbots’ that could kill with no human intervention, or the risk that an AI could escalate a military conflict.
However, the statement was a tangible outcome of the first international summit on military AI, co-hosted by the Netherlands and South Korea this week at The Hague.
Signatories said they were committed to developing and using military AI in accordance with “international legal obligations and in a way that does not undermine international security, stability and accountability”.
The conference comes as interest in AI is at all-time highs thanks to the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT program and as Ukraine has made use of facial recognition and AI-assisted targeting systems in its fight with Russia.
Organisers did not invite Russia following its 2022 invasion of Ukraine, which Moscow calls a “special military operation”. Ukraine did not attend.
01:26
Israel installs AI-powered gun at West Bank checkpoint as riot control