Vienna Conference Calls for Regulation of AI Weapons

The world must establish a set of rules to regulate artificial intelligence-based weaponry while it is still in its infancy, according to participants of a global conference in Vienna, reports France 24 citing AFP.

Experts believe AI, akin to gunpowder and the atomic bomb, has the potential to revolutionize warfare, making conflicts vastly different and far more lethal.

“This is our generation’s ‘Oppenheimer moment,’ where geopolitical tensions threaten to steer a major scientific breakthrough down a very dangerous path for humanity’s future,” the summary states.

Austria organized and hosted the two-day conference in Vienna, attended by around 1,000 participants, including political leaders, experts, and civil society representatives from over 140 countries.

The final statement declares that the group is “firmly committed to working urgently with all stakeholders to create an international legal document regulating autonomous weapon systems.”

“We must act and establish the rules necessary to protect civilization […]. Human control must prevail in the application of force,” the summary, which will be sent to the UN Secretary-General, states.

AI can transform all types of weaponry into autonomous systems through sophisticated sensors and algorithms that enable computers to “see.” This capability allows them to select and attack human targets without military intervention.

Most such weapons are currently in the conceptual or prototype stage. However, modern conflicts already showcase their potential.

“Autonomous weapon systems will soon fill battlefields worldwide,” stated Austria’s Foreign Minister Alexander Schallenberg.

He warned that now is the “time to agree on international rules and norms ensuring human control.”

Neutral Austria seeks to advance the disarmament agenda at international forums. In 2023, the republic introduced the first UN resolution on regulating autonomous weapon systems, supported by 164 nations.

In May 2023, American lawmakers proposed banning AI from launching nuclear bombs.