US launches responsible AI in military initiative

A new cooperation launched by the US in The Hague will encourage the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military.

“As a rapidly changing technology, we have an obligation to create strong norms of responsible behavior concerning military uses of AI and in a way that keeps in mind that applications of AI by militaries will undoubtedly change in the coming years,” Bonnie Jenkins, the State Department’s under secretary for arms control and international security, said, according to the AP.

The use of AI in conflicts can be pivotal, as it has the potential to fully alter the way wars are currently waged. The declaration was launched during a rather urgent moment of the intensifying war in Ukraine and increased instances of drone attacks.

According to the AP, the declaration has 12 points outlining the role of international law in the use of military-related AI, as well as the necessity of human control in all actions concerning nuclear weapons employment.

During the conference, 60 nations, including China, called for broad cooperation in the development and responsible military use of AI. Additionally, they encouraged the establishment of locally developed frameworks and guidelines for AI in the military, as well as emphasized the importance of human oversight.

“We are in time to mitigate risks and to prevent AI from spiraling out of control, and we are in time to prevent AI from taking us to a place we simply don’t want to be,” Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra said.