South Korea Summit Targets Responsible Use of AI in Military
South Korea kicked off an international summit on Monday aimed at developing a framework for responsible use of AI in military applications. While the summit seeks to establish guidelines, any resulting agreement is not expected to include binding enforcement measures.
The two-day summit in Seoul has attracted representatives from more than 90 countries, including the United States and China. This marks the second such gathering, following last year’s inaugural summit in Amsterdam, where participating nations, including the U.S. and China, endorsed a preliminary “call to action” that lacked legal commitment.
Ukraine’s Deployment
South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun, in his opening address, highlighted the dual nature of AI in military contexts. “Recently, in the Russia-Ukraine war, an AI-applied Ukrainian drone functioned as David’s slingshot,”.
The statement references Ukraine’s deployment of AI-enabled drones to counter Russian forces. These drones aim to overcome signal jamming and enable unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) to operate in larger, more coordinated groups.
“As AI is applied to the military domain, the military’s operational capabilities are dramatically improved. However, it is like a double-edged sword, as it can cause damage from abuse,” Kim stated. This perspective underscores the summit’s focus on balancing technological advancement with ethical considerations and the potential dangers of AI misuse.
South Korea’s AI Push
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul outlined the summit’s agenda. This includes discussions on legal reviews to ensure compliance with international law and mechanisms to prevent autonomous weapons from making life-and-death decisions without human oversight.
The goal is to craft a blueprint for responsible AI use in military settings, reflecting principles from NATO, the U.S., and other countries. While the summit aims to produce a detailed framework for AI in the military, it remains uncertain how many of the participating nations will endorse the document by the summit’s conclusion on Tuesday.
The proposed framework seeks to set boundaries on AI use but, similar to the previous summit, is expected to lack enforceable legal commitments.
Other Attempts And The Future
The Seoul summit is not the only international forum addressing AI in military applications. Nations under the United Nations’ 1983 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) are actively discussing potential restrictions on lethal autonomous weapons systems to align with international humanitarian law.
Additionally, the U.S. government launched a declaration last year on responsible AI use in the military. This would cover a broader range of applications beyond weaponry. As of August, 55 countries have endorsed this declaration.
Co-hosted by the Netherlands, Singapore, Kenya, and the United Kingdom, the Seoul summit aims to foster ongoing multi-stakeholder discussions in a field where private sector innovation drives technological progress. Of course, government policies remain crucial.
Approximately 2,000 participants, including representatives from international organizations, academia, and the private sector, are attending the summit. Discussions will cover diverse topics, such as civilian protection and the implications of AI in controlling nuclear weapons.
Originally posted on OpenDataScience.com
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