South Korea hosted an international summit on Monday aimed at creating a framework for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in military applications. More than 90 countries, including the United States and China, sent government representatives to the two-day event in Seoul. Although the summit aims to produce an action plan, it is unlikely to result in any binding agreements.
This is the second such gathering, following the first summit held in Amsterdam last year, where nations, including the U.S. and China, endorsed a non-binding "call to action." In his opening address, South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-hyun referenced the Russia-Ukraine war, where Ukraine has deployed AI-enabled drones in an effort to gain a technological advantage over Russia. These drones, he said, function like "David’s slingshot," overcoming signal jamming and allowing for more efficient unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations. However, he warned of the risks, describing AI's military use as a "double-edged sword" due to the potential for misuse.
South Korean Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul emphasized that the summit would explore legal frameworks to ensure compliance with international law and prevent autonomous weapons from making life-or-death decisions without human oversight. The goal is to outline principles for responsible AI use, aligning with standards set by NATO, the U.S., and other nations. However, it remains unclear how many countries will endorse the proposed document, which is expected to lack legal force but will be a more detailed attempt to set ethical boundaries for military AI use.
Other discussions on military AI are also taking place, including among U.N. members involved in the 1983 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), where talks focus on restricting lethal autonomous weapons systems under international humanitarian law. Last year, the U.S. government also launched a declaration for the responsible use of AI in the military, which has been endorsed by 55 countries as of August.
The summit, co-hosted by the Netherlands, Singapore, Kenya, and the United Kingdom, seeks to ensure continued dialogue between governments, the private sector, and other stakeholders, as much of the technological progress in AI is driven by private companies, while policy decisions rest with governments. Around 2,000 participants, including representatives from international organizations, academia, and industry, are attending discussions on various topics, such as the protection of civilians and the control of AI in nuclear weapons systems.