In a summit in Seoul, South Korea unveiled an "action plan" on Tuesday in which it broadly articulated how to regulate the use of Artificial Intelligence within military activities. The document was sent to 96 powerful nations, such as the United States and China. But despite a more detailed prescription of acts compared to earlier initiatives, new rules are only advisory and, as such, do not hold any binding legal status.
This is the second such summit after Amsterdam held one in 2023 where around 60 nations endorsed a modest "call to action" without legal commitment. However, this marks the beginning of concrete measures in how military AI could be kept under control. Not announced so far was which of these signed on to this blueprint.
The summit also emphasized the fast-growing risks of AI-controlled technologies to the newest types of armed drones that have been used in present conflicts, including in Ukraine. Netherlands Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans stressed the fact that this blueprint brings up issues related to risk assessment processes, the need for human intervention, and building confidence at the international level.
"We are making further concrete steps, Last year...was more about creating shared understanding, now we are getting more towards action," said Netherlands Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans.
However, one would probably mark a roadmap milestone as the guideline that would ensure that AI is not abused concerning WMD proliferation, particularly by non-state actors and terrorist groups. It also provides for human involvement in decisions related to the use of nuclear capabilities and offers paths for creating international trust.
The new guidelines, while progressive-sounding, reflect commitments already voiced by its peer's declaration on the responsible use of AI in military contexts by the US, introduced in 2023. Co-hosts that included the Netherlands, Singapore, Kenya, and the United Kingdom emphasized a vein of continued multilateral discussions to shape the frameworks going ahead.