South Korea is hosting an international summit with more than 90 countries to draw up a blueprint for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military.
South Korea has just held an international summit on the use of AI in the military, attracting the participation of more than 90 countries, including the United States, China, the United Kingdom and many others. The event, which took place on September 9, aimed to establish a blueprint for the responsible application of AI in the defense sector.
In his opening remarks, South Korean Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun mentioned the use of AI in the Russia-Ukraine war, specifically Ukraine’s AI drones. “AI significantly improves military capabilities, but at the same time it is a double-edged sword because of the risk of misuse,” Minister Kim noted.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul added that the discussions also included legal considerations to ensure compliance with international law and prevent autonomous weapons from making decisions without human oversight.
The conference is expected to produce a framework for action, establishing principles for the responsible use of AI in the military, based on principles from NATO, the US and several other countries. However, it is unclear how many countries will accept the document, and legal commitments may still be lacking.
A robot dog is displayed at a summit on the responsible use of military artificial intelligence, in The Hague, Netherlands, on February 15, 2023.
Not only the Seoul conference, international discussions on AI in the military are also taking place at the United Nations through the 1983 Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW), which seeks to limit lethal autonomous weapon systems.
The US also initiated a declaration on the responsible use of AI in the military last year, with support from 55 countries as of August 2024. The Seoul conference, co-hosted by South Korea with the Netherlands, Singapore, Kenya and the UK, aims to ensure continued multilateral discussions as AI technology advances rapidly.
