Defense industry
Conference on the control of AI weapons in Vienna
Representatives from around 130 countries are expected at the conference. photo
© Thomas Eisenhuth/dpa-Zentralbild/dpa
The military use of artificial intelligence is progressing. The technology is already in use in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine. Some states are calling for rules, but Russia is resisting.
Weapon systems that can independently select or attack targets with the help of artificial intelligence are currently the focus of attention due to the conflicts in the Gaza Strip and Ukraine. Israel’s army says it uses an AI-supported system that can suggest many possible attack targets in a short period of time. According to media reports and information from diplomatic circles, Ukraine uses drones that use AI to find their target even if their radio control is electronically jammed by the Russian side.
Technological development is moving towards increasingly autonomous weapons with less and less human input. The Vienna conference will, among other things, discuss the necessary extent of human control. The possible use of such technologies by terrorists and the dangers of an AI arms race should also be discussed.
Representatives from around 130 countries as well as the United Nations, non-governmental organizations and research institutes are expected at the two-day conference. Their debates are to be incorporated into a planned report by UN Secretary-General António Guterres for the next General Assembly of the United Nations. While some countries have so far shown themselves at least open to a non-binding code of conduct, Russia spoke out in Geneva against rapid restrictions in this area.