WJR News

South Korea convened an international summit on Monday, aiming to establish a blueprint for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military. The two-day event, attended by representatives from over 90 countries, including the United States and China, focuses on creating guidelines for the safe and ethical integration of AI technologies in military operations.

While the blueprint is expected to propose principles for responsible AI use in the military, any agreement reached at the summit should not include legally binding commitments.

A Global Initiative to Safeguard AI in Military Use

Following the inaugural event in Amsterdam last year, this summit marks the second major international gathering on this topic. During that summit, countries like the United States, China, and other global powers endorsed a modest “call to action”—a symbolic agreement without legal weight. However, this year’s Seoul summit aims to expand on these discussions and move towards a more detailed framework for AI regulation in the military domain.

“The summit is expected to yield a blueprint for action, establishing a minimum level of guardrails for AI in the military and suggesting principles of responsible use of AI in the domain,” a senior South Korean government official told Reuters. This document is anticipated to reflect converging principles already established by NATO, the U.S., and other international players.

Uncertainty Surrounding Endorsement and Legal Power

While many nations participate in the summit, it remains unclear how many will ultimately endorse the blueprint. The document is expected to be an important step forward in defining responsible AI use, but it will likely lack legal enforcement mechanisms, similar to previous agreements.

This summit is one of many global initiatives addressing the military application of AI. U.N. member countries, for example, have been discussing potential restrictions on lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) through the 1983 Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW), with a focus on ensuring compliance with international humanitarian law.

The Role of the United States and Previous Declarations

The U.S. government has been at the forefront of discussions on responsible AI in military use. In 2022, it launched a declaration that promotes the ethical and accountable use of AI technologies across military applications—not just in weapons but in broader areas like logistics and decision-making systems. As of August 2023, 55 countries have endorsed the U.S.-led declaration.

The Seoul summit aims to build on these efforts, bringing together governments, private sector leaders, and academia to create a multi-stakeholder approach. The private sector primarily drives technological developments in AI, but governments are responsible for deciding how these technologies are deployed.

Addressing Civilian Protection and Nuclear Control

Among the summit’s most pressing concerns is ensuring that AI systems are used to protect civilians and prevent misuse in nuclear weapons control. With over 2,000 registered participants from international organizations, academia, and the tech industry, the discussions will address these and other critical challenges posed by AI technologies in military settings.

Co-hosted by South Korea, the Netherlands, Singapore, Kenya, and the United Kingdom, the summit is a concerted effort to keep the conversation around military AI evolving and ensure that technological advancements remain aligned with ethical standards.