NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – On Thursday, October 22, a new UN forum dedicated to artificial intelligence in global peace and security will commence. The UN Institute for Disarmament Research is launching this platform via its Centre of Excellence on AI, Peace and Security. The event will also explore the deployment of AI within military contexts. According to the institute, this marks the first and sole multi-stakeholder forum on the topic within the UN system to date.
Robin Geiss, who heads UNIDIR, shared the initiative during a UN press briefing held in New York on Tuesday. He emphasized that representatives from all relevant sectors and regions will participate. Invitations extend to defense technology companies, software creators, subcontractors, and investors, who will engage alongside governments, civil society organizations, academic institutions, and experts. The centre responsible for organizing this forum was established earlier this summer as the UN’s first permanent platform dedicated to these issues.
According to Geiss, the forum aims to achieve three primary objectives. The first involves establishing a framework for responsible conduct within the industry, grounded in voluntary, practical guidelines. Companies would implement these standards during the design and development of AI tools for military applications. The second goal is to develop an AI security lexicon that clarifies terms such as autonomy, safety, and security. Currently, different stakeholders interpret these words differently, creating ambiguity that hampers trust and collaboration.
Armed groups access to more user-friendly AI tools
The third objective addresses the potential misuse of AI by non-State armed groups. Geiss explained that such groups could leverage AI for operational planning, execution, and logistics. As AI tools become more accessible and easier to use, non-State actors could carry out more advanced military operations. This concern builds on previous UN efforts to address technology-related threats from armed groups. UNIDIR, based in Geneva, functions as the UN’s independent research body focused on disarmament issues.
Geiss highlighted that AI is likely to increasingly replace human decision-making in warfare. Currently, military forces utilize AI for intelligence analysis, target identification, drone operations, and cyber-attack coordination. He warned that human judgment is being displaced, even in nuclear-related scenarios. AI also accelerates battlefield operations, enabling forces to engage a record number of targets daily. Many of these systems operate opaquely, raising risks of errors and unintended escalations.
Nuclear-weapon states support UN initiative
Geiss pointed out that geopolitical rivalry remains a major hurdle to regulating military AI. However, he observed that concern about this technology exists across political spectrums, including among key nuclear powers. He referenced a September proposal from the U.S. for an AI notification mechanism with China. This arrangement aims to enable the world’s two largest military spenders to inform each other about AI-related incidents. Geiss sees this as evidence that worries over AI transcend political divisions.
All five major nuclear powers—United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France—have contributed funding to the Centre of Excellence, Geiss noted. The UN Secretary-General has repeatedly urged stakeholders to avoid crossing a moral red line concerning autonomous weapons. He advocates for stronger regulation and a legally binding treaty to govern lethal autonomous weapon systems. Geiss stated that these calls are gaining increasing support within the international community.