South Korea hosted an international summit on Monday, aiming to create a framework for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in military operations. However, any agreement reached is expected to be non-binding.
The two-day summit in Seoul, which marks the second such gathering, saw participation from over 90 nations, including the United States and China. The first summit, held last year in Amsterdam, resulted in a modest "call to action" from the U.S., China, and other countries, though it lacked any legal obligations.
South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun, in his opening remarks, cited the use of AI-powered drones by Ukraine in its conflict with Russia, comparing it to "David's slingshot." He emphasized how Ukraine is leveraging AI to enhance drone capabilities, particularly to counter signal jamming and enable larger groups of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to operate effectively.
Kim acknowledged the significant boost AI provides to military operations but cautioned that its misuse could have harmful consequences. "As AI is integrated into military domains, operational capacities are greatly enhanced. However, like a double-edged sword, it also poses risks if abused," he said.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul highlighted that the discussions would address legal reviews to ensure AI's compliance with international law. They also aimed to create safeguards to prevent autonomous weapons from making critical decisions, such as life and death, without proper human oversight.
The summit hopes to produce a blueprint for responsible AI use in the military, setting a minimum standard of safeguards. This would reflect principles from NATO, the U.S., and other nations. However, it remains unclear how many attending countries will endorse the document, which will likely lack legal binding commitments.
This summit is not the only global effort addressing AI's military applications. The United Nations' 1983 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) is also discussing potential restrictions on lethal autonomous weapons to ensure compliance with humanitarian law.
Additionally, last year, the U.S. launched a declaration on the responsible use of AI in the military, covering broader applications beyond weapons. As of August, 55 countries have signed on to this declaration.
Co-hosted by the Netherlands, Singapore, Kenya, and the United Kingdom, the Seoul summit aims to ensure ongoing multi-stakeholder engagement in the AI military sphere. With technological advances largely driven by the private sector, governments remain the key decision-makers.
The summit has drawn around 2,000 participants worldwide, including representatives from international organizations, academia, and private industries, to discuss critical topics like civilian protection and the control of nuclear weapons using AI.
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