AI in Warfare: Netherlands, South Korea co-host first summit calling for 'responsible' use of AI in military

With the rapid advancement in Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, it was only a matter of time before the tech began appearing in militaristic applications and warfare. Recognising just how monumental this new technology can be in when used in War, the Netherlands and South Korea co-hosted the world’s first summit calling for the responsible use of AI in military operations and warfare. The Summit comes amidst the ongoing war in Ukraine and a renewed interest in AI globally and the various applications that the technology might have.   All eyes on China and the US Although the summit will be attended by 50 countries, the most notable attendees will be the US and China. The involvement of these two countries in the summit is notable, given that they are involved in a cold war of sorts, especially when it comes to technology, with the US trying to get its allies to impose sanctions on Chinese tech companies, similar to the ones that the US has imposed.   The conference takes place at a time when interest in AI, in general, is at an all-time high due to the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT programme two months ago, and the introduction of Microsoft’s new ChatGPT-powered-Bing. It is unclear whether the 50 countries in attendance will agree to endorse even a weak statement of principles being drafted by the Netherlands and co-host South Korea. Because of the situation in Ukraine, which will be a key topic of debate during the summit, which takes place in The Hague from February 15 to 16, organisers decided not to invite the Russian Federation. AI may prove to be a double-edged sword The gathering might be the first step in eventually creating a global AI weaponry pact, albeit that is still a long way off. Leaders have been hesitant to yet to agree to any restrictions on its usage out of concern that doing so could put them at a disadvantage. Interestingly, the US Air force just successfully tested their first fighter jet fitted with an AI pilot. **Also read: US Air Force successfully tests their first AI-controlled fighter jet** Alongside the summit, 2,000 specialists and academics are in attendance at a conference where themes like slaughter bots and killer drones will be discussed. In a presentation on Thursday, the U.S. Department of Defense will go through areas where it sees possibilities for international collaboration. A representative of the Chinese Embassy in the Netherlands cited a position paper in which China stressed the need of preventing “strategic miscalculations” with AI and making sure it doesn’t unintentionally worsen a conflict. Reckless and inconsiderate killing of civilians needs to stop Lethal autonomous weapons systems, which may kill without any consideration for human life, possibly even that of civilians, have been the subject of discussions amongst UN nations who have been party to the 1983 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) since 2014. Hoekstra stated that the summit would examine different facets of military AI rather than replacing this discussion. The different facets include the defining of certain terms, the safe use of AI to expedite military decision-making, and the identification of lawful targets. “We are entering an area that we do not understand and for which there are no standards, regulations, norms, or agreements. But sooner rather than later, we’ll need them “added Hoekstra. Read all the  Latest News ,  Trending News ,  Cricket News ,  Bollywood News , India News  and  Entertainment News  here. Follow us on  Facebook,  Twitter and  Instagram.