South Korea summit announces ‘blueprint’ for using AI in military

Published September 10, 2024
Speakers including Dr. Radha Plumb, Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, US Department of Defense (third from left), discuss responsible AI use — Reuters
Speakers including Dr. Radha Plumb, Chief Digital and Artificial Intelligence Officer, US Department of Defense (third from left), discuss responsible AI use — Reuters

A global summit in South Korea on Tuesday announced a “blueprint for action” to govern responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military, with more practical guidelines than a similar document last year, but still legally non-binding.

It was not immediately clear how many of the 96 nations that sent government representatives to the summit, including the United States and China, are endorsing the document.

The Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM) summit in Seoul, the second of its kind, follows one held in Amsterdam last year. At that time, around 60 nations endorsed a modest “call to action” without legal commitment.

Government representatives speaking at a roundtable on Tuesday said this year’s “blueprint” was more action-oriented.

This is in keeping with advances in discussions about AI risk, and developments in military use of AI such as Ukraine’s rollout of AI-enabled drones.

“We are making further concrete steps,” Netherlands Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans told Reuters. “Last year…was more about creating shared understanding, now we are getting more towards action.”

This includes laying out what kind of risk assessments should be made, important conditions such as human control, and how confidence-building measures can be taken in order to manage those risks, he said.

Among the details added in the document was the need to prevent AI from being used to proliferate weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by actors including terrorist groups, and the importance of maintaining human control and involvement in nuclear weapons employment.

South Korean officials said the document covers much of the same ground as principles laid out elsewhere, such as the US government’s declaration on responsible use of AI in the military launched last year.

But the Seoul summit — co-hosted by the Netherlands, Singapore, Kenya and the United Kingdom — aims to ensure ongoing multi-stakeholder discussions not dominated by a single nation or entity.

The venue and timing for the next summit is still being discussed, officials said.

Opinion

Editorial

‘Declaration of war’
Updated 14 Jun, 2025

‘Declaration of war’

Israel's provocative behaviour has, once again, brought the Middle East to the precipice of a full-blown war.
A mixed bag
14 Jun, 2025

A mixed bag

SINDH’S Rs3.45tr budget for the next fiscal year seeks to combine populism with provincial tax reforms while also...
Water-starved city
14 Jun, 2025

Water-starved city

IT is an injustice that finds few parallels. Karachi, home to a burgeoning population of over 20m and the primary...
Climate realities
Updated 13 Jun, 2025

Climate realities

Finance Minister says, "We are living climate change day in and day out”.
Minimum wages
Updated 13 Jun, 2025

Minimum wages

Foolish to expect toothless and corrupt provincial employees’ social security organisations to force wealthy employers to implement the minimum wage.
Iran attack fears
13 Jun, 2025

Iran attack fears

AS the fate of the US-Iran talks remains undecided, there are worrying signs that in case the negotiations collapse,...