Dozens of countries endorse ‘blueprint’ for AI use in military, but China opts out
About 60 countries, including Indo-Pacific Allies and Partners such as the United States, have endorsed a “blueprint for action” to govern responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military. China, however, was among those that declined to support the nonbinding document.
The Responsible AI in the Military Domain summit in Seoul, South Korea, in September 2024 followed a similar event in the Netherlands in 2023, when about 60 nations, including China, endorsed a call to action without legal commitment.
Officials said the blueprint is more action oriented, in keeping with advanced discussions and developments such as AI-enabled drones used by Ukraine to defend against invading Russian forces. Kyiv also endorsed the document.
“We are making further concrete steps,” Netherlands Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans said. “Last year … was more about creating shared understanding, now we are getting more towards action.”
That includes identifying risk assessments, important factors such as human control and how confidence-building measures can manage risks, he said.
Among the details added to the document: the need to prevent AI from being used to proliferate weapons of mass destruction by actors including terrorist groups, and the importance of maintaining human control and involvement in nuclear weapons employment.
Similar initiatives are underway globally, such as the U.S. Defense Department’s 2023 strategy on responsibly adopting AI capabilities.
The Seoul summit was co-hosted by Kenya, the Netherlands, Singapore and the United Kingdom.
China was among about 30 nations that sent a representative but did not endorse the document.
“The blueprint is an incremental step forward,” said Giacomo Persi Paoli, head of the security and technology program at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research, calling on countries to engage between summits to mitigate risks. Reuters
