NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Starting Thursday, October 22, a pioneering UN platform dedicated to artificial intelligence in global peace and security will be launched. The UN Institute for Disarmament Research is inaugurating this initiative through its Centre of Excellence on AI, Peace and Security. The forum will also explore AI applications in military contexts. According to the institute, it is the first and sole multi-stakeholder event of this kind within the UN framework.
During a UN press briefing in New York on Tuesday, Robin Geiss, the Director of UNIDIR, shared details about the upcoming forum. He emphasized that participants from all relevant sectors and regions will be represented. Attendees are expected to include defense technology companies, software developers, subcontractors, and investors, who will engage alongside governments, civil society, academia, and experts. The forum’s hosting center was established this summer as the UN’s inaugural permanent platform focused on these issues.
According to Geiss, the forum aims to achieve three primary objectives. The first involves establishing a responsible industry conduct framework based on voluntary, practical guidelines. These would guide companies as they design and develop AI tools for military applications. The second goal is the creation of an AI security lexicon that clarifies terms like autonomy, safety, and security, which are currently used inconsistently, leading to misunderstandings and hampering trust and collaboration.
Armed groups find it easier to access AI technology
The third focus is addressing the potential misuse of AI by non-State armed groups. Geiss explained that such groups could leverage AI for operational planning, execution, and logistics. As AI tools become more user-friendly, non-State actors could carry out more sophisticated military operations. This concern extends previous UN efforts on technology-related threats from armed groups. UNIDIR, based in Geneva, is the UN’s independent research institute dedicated to disarmament issues.
Geiss highlighted that AI is rapidly displacing human decision-making in warfare. Currently, armed forces utilize AI for intelligence analysis, target identification, operating drones, and cyber-attack coordination. He pointed out that human judgment is increasingly sidelined, even in nuclear decision-making. Additionally, AI accelerates battlefield operations, enabling forces to engage an unprecedented number of targets daily. Nonetheless, many of these systems operate opaquely, increasing the risk of errors and unintended escalation.
Major nuclear powers support the UN initiative
Geiss observed that geopolitical rivalry continues to hinder efforts to regulate military AI. Despite this, he noted a shared concern about the technology among major powers. Specifically, he referenced a September proposal by the U.S. for an AI notification system with China, intended to alert each other to AI-related incidents. This initiative signifies that worries about AI transcend political divides. All five leading nuclear nations—United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France—have contributed funding to the Centre of Excellence, Geiss confirmed. The UN Secretary-General has repeatedly urged stakeholders to avoid crossing a moral red line regarding autonomous weapons and has called for stronger regulation and a legally binding treaty on lethal autonomous weapon systems. Geiss concluded by saying that these appeals are gaining increasing support across the international community.