China refuses to sign ‘Blueprint for Action’ agreement to ban AI from controlling nuclear weapons
- In Reports
- 04:59 PM, Sep 11, 2024
- Myind Staff
China has left the world surprised with its recent move to withdraw from the ‘Blueprint for Action’ agreement which sought to ban artificial intelligence from controlling nuclear weapons. The non-binding agreement was approved by more than 100 countries including the US, China and Ukraine marking their attendance at the Responsible AI in the Military Domain REAIM summit held in Seoul on Tuesday. The global summit agreed to the notion that humans, not artificial intelligence should make key decisions.
Russia was expelled from participating in the summit following the eruption of war and invasion of Ukraine. According to a report, China has refused to sign the agreement which was not legally binding. The report elucidated that it was essential to “maintain human control and involvement for all actions … concerning nuclear weapons employment”. It further added that AI capabilities in the military domain “must be applied in accordance with applicable national and international law”. AI applications should be ethical and human-centric.”
In a two-day summit declaration, the agreement did not outline the sanctions or penalties for violations. Agreeing with the logic that significant progress is needed for the states to keep pace with advancements in Military AI, the summit concluded that further discussions would be needed in order to establish better and more effective policies.
The first summit was held last year in February with Kenya, Singapore, Netherlands, and Britain co-hosting it in The Hague. With regard to AI in the military, South Korean Defence Minister Kim Yong-Hyun called AI, a “double-edged sword” and said, “As AI is applied to the military domain, the military’s operational capabilities are dramatically improved. However, it is like a double-edged sword, as it can cause damage from abuse.”
The declaration at the Seoul Summit describes itself as the "most comprehensive and inclusive platform."
Russia was not invited following its ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
Image source: Fortune
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