China warns US against granting AI ability to ‘determine life and death’ on battlefield
Key Takeaways
- China urges maintaining human primacy in military AI deployment
- Defence ministry spokesman Jiang Bin warned unrestricted military AI could erode ethical constraints and accountability
- China warned the United States against permitting AI to make battlefield life-and-death decisions
Main warning
Speaking at a regular briefing in Beijing, defence ministry spokesman Jiang Bin warned against granting AI the power to "determine life and death" on the battlefield.
“China warns US against granting AI ability to ‘determine life and death’ on battlefield China believes that human primacy must be upheld in military applications of AI, defence ministry spokesman says Speaking at a regular briefing in Beijing, defence ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said the “unrestricted application of AI by the military” could “erode ethical constraints and accountability in wars” and risk a “dangerous technological runaway””
He said the "unrestricted application of AI by the military" could "erode ethical constraints and accountability in wars" and risk a "dangerous technological runaway".
Context: US reports
His remarks came in response to a question referencing reports that the US was pressing domestic technology companies to allow broader military use of their AI systems.
The reports also said the US had already deployed such tools in operations related to conflicts involving Iran and Venezuela.
Specific criticisms
Jiang criticised choices including "using AI as a tool to violate the sovereignty of other nations."
“China warns US against granting AI ability to ‘determine life and death’ on battlefield China believes that human primacy must be upheld in military applications of AI, defence ministry spokesman says Speaking at a regular briefing in Beijing, defence ministry spokesman Jiang Bin said the “unrestricted application of AI by the military” could “erode ethical constraints and accountability in wars” and risk a “dangerous technological runaway””
He criticised "allowing AI to excessively affect war decisions, and giving algorithms the power to determine life and death."
China's stance and warning
He said China believes that human primacy must be upheld in military applications of AI and that "all relevant weapon systems must remain under human control."
He added that Beijing supported a "people-centred approach and the principle of AI for good" and warned of the potential risks of allowing machines to dominate battlefield decisions, referencing the dystopian scenario depicted in the 1984 American film The Terminator.
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