Only 35 nations signed a declaration on responsible military AI at a Spain summit, with the US and China notably absent amid geopolitical tensions.
A CORUNA: Around a third of countries attending a military AI summit agreed on Thursday to a declaration on governing the technology in warfare. Military heavyweights China and the US opted out.
Only 35 countries out of 85 attending the Responsible AI in the Military Domain summit in Spain signed the commitment to 20 principles. Tensions in relations between the United States and European allies made some countries hesitant to sign joint agreements, several attendees said.
The pledge underscores growing concern that rapid AI advances could outpace rules around its military use. This raises the risk of accidents, miscalculation or unintended escalation.
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Governments face a “prisoner’s dilemma”, said Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans. They are caught between putting responsible restrictions in place and not wanting to limit themselves compared to adversaries.
“Russia and China are moving very fast,” Brekelmans said in comments to Reuters. “That creates urgency to make progress in developing AI. But seeing it going fast also increases the urgency to keep working on its responsible use.”
The signed principles include affirming human responsibility over AI-powered weapons. They also encourage clear chains of command and control.
The document outlined the importance of risk assessments and robust testing. It also emphasised training and education for personnel operating military AI capabilities.
Major signatories on Thursday included Canada, Germany, France and Britain. The Netherlands, South Korea and Ukraine also signed.
At two prior military AI summits in 2023 and 2024, around 60 nations endorsed a modest “blueprint for action”. That earlier document excluded China but included the United States.
While this year’s document was also non-binding, some were uncomfortable endorsing more concrete policies. Yasmin Afina, a researcher at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research, confirmed this hesitation.
The declaration encourages sharing information on national oversight arrangements. This sharing is specified as being “where consistent with national security”.
