By Mei Mei Chu
BEIJING, Sept 17 (Reuters) – A range of delegates to China’s flagship defence conference this week expressed fears over the potential for unchecked AI development and technology rivalries to further heighten risks across the global security environment
The warnings come as the world’s two largest AI powers, China and the US, prepare for bilateral summit talks this month but remain divided on how to control the technology’s use in military systems, including nuclear weapons.
AI has dangerously compressed decision-making for governments and their militaries just as misinformation shreds public trust before they can respond, panelists at the Beijing Xiangshan Forum on security said.
“Today, the world is at a critical turning point. Strategic competition among major powers is becoming more pronounced, conflicts in many regions continue,” said Thailand’s Defence Minister Adul Boonthumjaroen.
As AI and other technologies transform warfare, “the most pressing is not who will be the most powerful, but rather, how can we build an international order,” he said.
Adul was among some 2,000 military officers, diplomats and academics from 100 countries attending the three-day event which ended on Thursday. Delegates included regional defence officials, a North Korean representative, a senior Pentagon official, Russian academics and Taliban delegates.
“As weapon systems become increasingly autonomous, the need to preserve human judgment and control over the use of force becomes more pressing,” said Jurg Lauber, vice-president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, while also highlighting some of the benefits of AI.
The rising use of low-cost drones was changing the nature of warfare, stretching and blurring front lines over vast distances, Lauber said.
Pakistan’s Defense Secretary Muhammad Ali said technological advances were “compressing the strategic timeline.”
“Artificial Intelligence accelerates decisions while disinformation and misinformation can fracture public trust before governments are even able to respond effectively.”
Bangladeshi, Malaysian and Laotian representatives also expressed concern over the impact of AI.
The conference comes as both China and the US – the two major drivers of cutting edge AI development and its global adoption – express concerns over its risks but hold different views on its control.
Both China and the US have been at loggerheads over AI policies and industry practices. Security experts from both countries have called for guardrails and consensus-building regarding AI in military systems, including nuclear weapons.
(Reporting By Mei Mei Chu in Beijing; Writing by Greg Torode in Hong Kong; Editing by Raju Gopalakrishnan)
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