UN launches initiative to address military AI risks

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 21 Oct, 01:03 · Archive

The United Nations is launching an initiative to address concerns about military uses of artificial intelligence.

The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research is launching a new initiative on Thursday, establishing the first international forum to address military uses of artificial intelligence. The move comes amid growing concerns about the threat the rapidly developing technology could pose to humanity.

Robin Geiss, head of the Geneva-based institute known as UNIDIR, warned at a UN press conference on Tuesday that 'the margin for human judgment is increasingly narrow, including in the nuclear domain'. He said AI is creeping into military systems across early warning, information gathering and reconnaissance, making it difficult to determine 'at which point we're actually really losing control'.

Geiss noted that while there was long-standing reluctance to establish AI guardrails, the proliferation of capabilities and potential impact have created 'a growing realization that we stand at a crossroad — that now is the time to act, including on military AI'. He acknowledged that global competition to lead on AI poses serious obstacles to agreement, yet stressed that concerns about its impact are transcending geopolitical divisions and prompting action from major powers.

How it is being reported

• New UN initiative will aim to tackle the military uses of AIThe United Nations is launching a new initiative on the military uses of artificial intelligence, aimed at addressing some dire concerns about the threat the rapidly developing technology could pose to humanity.Clickorlando · 21 Oct, 00:34
• New UN initiative will aim to tackle the military uses of AIThe United Nations is launching a new initiative on the military uses of artificial intelligence, aimed at addressing some dire concerns about the threat the rapidly developing technology could pose to humanity.News4Jax · 21 Oct, 00:34

In this story: United Nations · UN Institute for Disarmament Research · Robin Geiss · Geneva

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