Time to set global rules for AI warfare, China tells UN weapons review

Beijing envoy to UN presented China’s position paper on military AI at the Sixth Review Conference of the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons

Li Song says China opposes use of AI ‘to seek absolute military superiority and to undermine the sovereignty and territorial security of other countries’

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China has told a UN conference on weapons that all countries should comply with humanitarian laws and observe ethical norms when developing artificial intelligence weapons or considering AI warfare. Photo: Shutterstock

Published: 11:00pm, 14 Dec 2021Updated: 12:54am, 15 Dec 2021

China’s arms control envoy has called for international rules to be imposed on the use of artificial intelligence in the military to prevent an international arms race and the risk of human disaster.

China’s arms control ambassador to the United Nations, Li Song, said that since the application of AI technology could reshape the future of warfare and potentially trigger humanitarian crises, rules were needed to stop it becoming a tool for war or hegemony.

“Countries, especially great powers, should exercise restraint in developing AI weapon systems,” Li said. “China opposes the use of AI technologies to seek absolute military superiority and to undermine the sovereignty and territorial security of other countries.”

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Li made the statement on Monday in presenting China’s position paper on regulating military AI applications at a review conference of the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons in Geneva.

He also said there must be greater oversight to cut the risk of military AI proliferation.

China’s paper said strengthening regulation of military applications of AI to prevent and manage risks would help boost trust between countries, maintain global strategic stability, prevent an arms race and ease humanitarian concerns.

China called for countries to comply with humanitarian laws and observe ethical norms when developing AI weapons or AI warfare, to reduce collateral casualties and avoid indiscriminate destruction, misuse or abuse.