US Urges China and Russia to Ban AI from Nuclear Weapon Control Forever

United States Department arms control official Paul Dean is reportedly urging both Russia and China to make a declaration that artificial intelligence will never control the deployment of nuclear weapons.

The US, Britain, and France had already made the declaration.

Dean said in an online briefing that Washington had made a clear and unwavering commitment that people were in total control of nuclear weapons. He continued by saying that the US would support a similar statement from China and the Russian Federation.

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Dean's remarks are consistent with U.S. President Joe Biden's wants to increase the scope of bilateral discussions with China about nuclear weapons policy and the advancement of artificial intelligence.

The Chinese Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Blinken reports that the two sides have agreed to meet bilaterally for the first time in the coming weeks to discuss artificial intelligence. They will also share strategies on how to best handle the risks and security related to technology.

AI-Powered Weapons Discussions

In January, U.S. and Chinese officials resumed discussions about nuclear weapons as part of normalizing military communications, although formal arms control negotiations are not anticipated anytime soon.

In February, China, which is developing its nuclear weapons arsenal, encouraged the world's superpowers to begin talks on a non-first-use deal.

AI continues to raise concerns as it continues to be utilized in military weapons. Austria recently raised the alarm on the urgent need for global action to regulate AI in weapons systems amid growing concerns over the development of so-called killer robots.

Austria held a conference on Monday, April 29, to restart conversations about this urgent matter. Austria spoke at the conference about the moral and legal issues raised by the use of AI in combat.

During the meeting, Alexander Schallenberg, the foreign minister of Austria, emphasized the need for international agreements and standards to guarantee human control over AI weapons.

He argued for human intervention in crucial decision-making processes and cautioned against the grave consequences of letting machines decide "who lives and who dies."

On the other hand, there has been no progress in UN negotiations on deadly autonomous weapons (LAWS), which has raised fears about a closing window of opportunity for action.

Autonomous Military Aircrafts

AI being used in combat is a current reality rather than just a theoretical worry. AI-enabled drones, such as those seen in Ukraine, have already shown that they are capable of locating targets on their own when communication with humans is interrupted.

Furthermore, rumors suggest that the US is looking into how the Israeli military is using AI to pinpoint targets in Gaza for attack.

Most notably, the US Defense Advanced Research Project Agency (DARPA) recently released a video featuring the first-ever demonstration of an unmanned, AI-controlled F-16 aircraft practicing several aerial combat scenarios against a human pilot.

The US Air Force caught two F-16 aircraft dogfighting in September of last year at Edwards Air Force Base in California. This footage was captured at the base.

The two planes engaged in dogfighting or combat within visible range, performing aggressive and protective maneuvers at up to 1,200 miles per hour. At one point, they were separated by just 2,000 feet (610 meters).