NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Launching on Thursday, October 22, is a new UN forum dedicated to artificial intelligence in international peace and security. The UN Institute for Disarmament Research is establishing this platform through its Centre of Excellence focused on AI, Peace and Security. The event will also explore AI’s application within military contexts. According to the institute, this marks the first and sole multi-stakeholder forum on this topic within the UN system to date.
Robin Geiss, who heads UNIDIR, outlined the initiative at a UN press conference in New York on Tuesday. He explained that the forum aims to include participants from all relevant sectors and regions. Attendance is expected from defense technology companies, software developers, subcontractors, and investors, who will consult with governments, civil society, academia, and experts. The underlying centre behind this initiative was established this summer as the UN’s first permanent platform dedicated to these issues.
According to Geiss, the forum will pursue three primary objectives. The first involves creating a responsible industry framework based on voluntary, practical guidelines that companies could adopt during the design and development of AI tools for military applications. The second goal focuses on developing an AI security lexicon that clarifies concepts such as autonomy, safety, and security. Currently, these terms are used inconsistently among stakeholders, and such ambiguity hampers trust and collaboration.
Armed organizations find it easier to access AI tools
The third objective addresses the danger of AI misuse by non-State armed groups. Geiss mentioned that these groups could leverage AI in operational planning, execution, and logistics. As AI tools become more user-friendly, non-State actors could conduct more advanced military operations. This concern builds on earlier UN efforts regarding technology-related threats posed by armed groups. UNIDIR, based in Geneva, functions as the UN’s independent research institute on disarmament.
Geiss emphasized that AI is poised to increasingly overshadow human decision-making in warfare. Currently, armed forces utilize AI for intelligence analysis, target identification, drone operations, and cyber-attacks. He pointed out that human judgment is being replaced, including in nuclear operations. Moreover, AI accelerates battlefield activities, enabling forces to engage a record number of targets daily. Many of these systems lack transparency, heightening the risk of errors and unintended escalation.
Nuclear-armed nations support UN’s AI initiative
Geiss noted that geopolitical rivalry remains a significant barrier to establishing regulations for military AI. Nonetheless, he highlighted that concern over this technology is widespread across political lines, including among the world’s leading powers. He referenced a September proposal from the US to create an AI notification mechanism with China, which would enable the two largest military spenders to alert each other about AI-related incidents. Geiss viewed this as evidence that worries about AI transcend political differences.
All five major nuclear powers—namely the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France—have contributed funding to the Centre of Excellence, Geiss stated. The UN Secretary-General has repeatedly urged stakeholders to avoid crossing a moral red line regarding autonomous weapons. He has called for stronger regulations and a legally binding treaty to oversee lethal autonomous weapon systems. Geiss added that such appeals are gaining increasing backing worldwide.