Xiangshan Forum Focuses on Military AI Risks: Delegates from Multiple Countries Call for Establishing International Order
At this week's Xiangshan Forum in Beijing, delegates from multiple countries expressed concern over the unchecked development of artificial intelligence and the global security risks driven up by technological competition. Thai Defense Minister Wuthi Wanthanyarun called for establishing an international order. ICRC Vice President Laub emphasized that as weapons systems become increasingly autonomous, the need to retain human judgment and control when using force has become more urgent. Although China and the United States, as the two major AI powers, both worry about the risks, they still differ on how to manage the application of AI in military systems, especially in the field of nuclear weapons.
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At this week's Xiangshan Forum, China's flagship defense gathering held in Beijing, the unregulated development of artificial intelligence technology and great-power competition have prompted representatives from many countries to express serious concerns about rising global security risks. As the United States and China prepare to hold a bilateral summit, weapons autonomy and disinformation are rapidly reshaping the character of modern warfare, with decision-making time compressed to the limit. How all parties can establish an international order before military technology spins out of control has become a severe test the international community urgently needs to confront.
https://p.dw.com/p/5MkDc Artificial intelligence AI has already been widely used on the battlefield in Ukraine. Image source: Rebecca Ritters/DW Advertisement (DW Chinese website) At this week's Xiangshan Forum, China's flagship defense gathering, representatives from many countries expressed concern that unconstrained development of artificial intelligence and technological competition could further heighten risks in the global security environment.
Meanwhile, the world's two major AI powers, China and the United States, are preparing to hold a bilateral summit this month, but the two sides still differ on how to manage the technology's application in military systems, including in the nuclear weapons field.
Experts attending the Beijing Xiangshan Forum pointed out that artificial intelligence has drastically compressed decision-making time for governments and militaries, while disinformation can severely shake public trust even before officials respond.
Thai Defense Minister Adul Boonthumjaroen said: "The world today is at a critical turning point. Strategic competition among major powers is becoming increasingly obvious, and conflicts in many regions continue." He noted that as technologies such as artificial intelligence change the character of warfare, "the most urgent question is not who will become the most powerful, but how we should build an international order."
Boonthumjaroen was one of the representatives attending the three-day conference. This year's Xiangshan Forum was held from September 15 to 17 and attracted about 2,000 military officers, diplomats and scholars from 100 countries, including regional defense officials, North Korean representatives, a senior U.S. Pentagon official, Russian scholars and Taliban representatives.
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Jurg Lauber, vice president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, while acknowledging some benefits of artificial intelligence, also stressed: "As weapon systems become increasingly autonomous, the need to retain human judgment and control when using force becomes more urgent." Lauber pointed out that the widespread use of low-cost drones is changing the nature of war and stretching and blurring front lines across vast spaces.
Pakistani Defense Secretary Muhammad Ali said technological progress is "compressing strategic timelines." He believes: "Artificial intelligence has accelerated decision-making, while disinformation and misinformation can destroy public trust before governments can respond effectively."
Representatives from Bangladesh, Malaysia and Laos also expressed concern about the impact of artificial intelligence.
At present, China and the United States, as the two main drivers of cutting-edge artificial intelligence development and its global application, have both expressed concern about related risks but hold different views on specific ways to manage them. The two countries have long differed on artificial intelligence policy and industry practices, and security experts from both countries have previously called for establishing safety guardrails and building consensus on the application of artificial intelligence in military systems, especially nuclear weapons.
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