European Union

Statement on Artificial Intelligence in Military Domain

Conference on Disarmament

Geneva, 3 August 2023

Mr. President,

I have the honour to speak on behalf of the European Union and its Member States.

The candidate countries North Macedonia ^*, Montenegro^*, Serbia^*, Ukraine, Republic of Moldova and Bosnia and Herzegovina^*, and the potential candidate country Georgia, align themselves with this statement. 

The EU welcomes this opportunity to discuss within the CD the issue of artificial intelligence (AI) in military domain, which is timely and of great importance. We thank both panellists for their interesting and thoughts provoking presentations and views provided. The EU reaffirms its commitment to promoting responsible approaches based on appropriate and necessary levels of human control and judgment in the development, deployment, and use of AI technologies in military applications in compliance with international law, in particular IHL. The EU recognizes the potential opportunities and risks associated with the development and use of AI in the military domain, including its implications for global security.

The EU recognizes the significance of promoting international cooperation and a multilateral approach to address the challenges associated with AI in the military domain. In this regard, the EU welcomes initiatives such as the first REAIM Summit, hosted in the Netherlands in February this year, and we look forward to continuation of this process with a second Summit in the Republic of Korea next year. Inclusive collaboration among States and relevant stakeholders, such as industry, civil society and academia, is essential to enhance our knowledge and understanding of this issue.

The EU welcomes the ambitious New Agenda for Peace that proposes a strengthened approach to peace and security. The UN Secretary General notes that nature of conflicts has changed and that AI is both an enabling and a disruptive technology. He recognizes that States should take steps to mitigate risks relating to artificial intelligence-enabled systems in the peace and security domain and develop the necessary frameworks to achieve this goal.

The EU is actively engaged in ongoing discussions within the Group of Governmental Experts on emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS). The Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) offers an appropriate framework for dealing with the issue and as the relevant international forum in this regard, it must remain responsive to new developments in the field of weapons technology and be able to adequately address them. We emphasise that human beings must make decisions with regard to the use of force. The EU recalls the need to ensure that the development, production, deployment and use of emerging technologies in the area of LAWS must be in compliance with international law, in particular International Humanitarian Law (IHL). In that regard, we support that a distinction should be made between those weapon systems that cannot be used in accordance with international law, in particular IHL, which States should commit not to develop, produce or use, and systems that include autonomous features, requiring regulation to ensure compliance with IHL and other applicable international law. A so called “two-tier” approach to weapons systems in the area of LAWS can be considered as an important emerging commonality.

Mr. President,

The EU Artificial Intelligence Act establishing the EU legislative framework for AI systems across various sectors is currently under discussion. It aims to foster trust in AI applications and to harness the benefits of AI while safeguarding human rights, fundamental freedoms, and democratic values, and represents a significant step towards shaping the future of AI regulation. This act emphasizes the importance of transparency, accountability, and human oversight in the development and deployment of AI systems, while promoting legal certainty, innovation and competitiveness. All this being said, the AI Act excludes from its scope AI systems developed for military, defence or national security activities.

The EU encourages further international dialogue and cooperation to address the opportunities and challenges presented by AI in the military domain. We support efforts to exchange best practices and foster a common understanding of the legal and ethical implications. The EU stands ready to actively engage in discussions in all relevant fora to further advance common understanding of this important issue.

I thank you, Mr. President.

^*  North Macedonia, Montenegro, Serbia, Albania and Bosnia and Herzegovina continue to be part of the Stabilisation and Association Process.