Daily Times

Spotlighting the use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military domain, Pakistan has stressed the need for developing specific guidelines on confidence building, risk reduction and restraint measures to regulate the dual-use of technology. “The use of AI in military domain such as in weapon systems, decision support systems including command and control, as well as in information processing and management is set to transform conflicts in an unprecedented manner, ” Pakistan delegate Husham Ahmed told the General Assembly’s First Committee, which deals with disarmament and international security issues. Some capabilities are already being deployed and used, he said during a thematic debate on other disarmament measures and international security. Driven by the allure of increased war efficiency and the race to gain a decisive advantage over adversaries, some States highlight the possible opportunities drawn from the use of artificial intelligence in the battlefield, Husham Ahmed, a counsellor who serves at the Pakistan Mission in Geneva, said. However, he said the grave associated risks in the absence of necessary guardrails or international frameworks warrant urgent attention. The Pakistani delegate said these new “AI-enabled” military means and capabilities, in the absence of human control, can heighten nuclear risks, increase the likelihood of miscalculations and accidents and evoke asymmetric responses, thereby lowering the threshold for use of force and armed conflict. It also has the potential to reshape conflict dynamics, alter deterrence strategies, intensify a new arms race, introduce unforeseen escalation patterns and raise new risks in an already complex international security landscape, he added. “Taking the war fighting to machine speeds and compressing decision-making timeframe can result in elimination of crisis mitigation spaces, particularly in regions with high tensions.” the Pakistani delegate said. “Failure to address these risks would oblige states faced with existing asymmetries to defend themselves with the capabilities at their disposal”. Reminding about the agreement in the Pact for the Future, to assess the existing and potential risks associated with the military applications of AI and the possible opportunities throughout their lifecycle, Ahmed called for its implementation through the UN Disarmament machinery.