NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Launching on Thursday, October 22, a new UN forum dedicated to artificial intelligence in international peace and security will be introduced. The UN Institute for Disarmament Research is establishing this platform via its Centre of Excellence on AI, Peace and Security. The forum will also explore AI applications within military contexts. According to the institute, this marks the first and only multi-stakeholder platform addressing these issues within the UN system to date.
Robin Geiss, who is the Director of UNIDIR, detailed the initiative during a UN press conference in New York on Tuesday. He emphasized that representatives from all relevant sectors and regions will participate in the forum. It is anticipated that defence technology companies, software creators, subcontractors, and investors will engage in consultations alongside governments, civil society groups, academic institutions, and experts. The centre supporting the forum was established this summer as the UN’s inaugural permanent platform focused on these topics.
According to Geiss, the forum aims to achieve three primary objectives. The first involves creating a responsible industry conduct framework based on voluntary, practical guidelines that companies could adopt during the design and development of military AI tools. The second goal is to develop an AI security lexicon that clarifies terms like autonomy, safety, and security, which are currently interpreted differently by various stakeholders, leading to ambiguity that hampers trust and cooperation.
Armed groups find AI tools increasingly accessible for their operations
The third objective addresses the potential misuse of AI by non-State armed groups. Geiss explained that such groups might utilize AI for operational planning, execution, and logistics. As these tools become more user-friendly, non-State actors could carry out more advanced military actions. This concern builds upon earlier UN efforts related to technology-related threats posed by armed groups. UNIDIR, based in Geneva, is the UN’s independent disarmament research institute.
Geiss highlighted that AI is likely to displace human decision-making in warfare. Presently, armed forces employ AI for intelligence analysis, target identification, operating drones, and cyber-attack management. He noted that human judgment is being replaced, even in nuclear decision-making, as AI accelerates battlefield operations and enables forces to engage an unprecedented number of targets daily. Many of these systems are opaque, increasing the risks of errors and unintended escalation.
Major nuclear powers support UN-led AI regulation efforts
Geiss pointed out that geopolitical rivalry continues to hinder efforts to regulate military AI. However, he observed that concern about this technology is shared across political spectrums, including among major powers. He referenced a September proposal from the U.S. for an AI notification mechanism with China, which would enable the world’s two largest military spenders to alert each other to AI-related incidents. He presented this as evidence of shared worries about AI crossing political divides.
All five leading nuclear nations—United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France—have provided funding for the Centre of Excellence, Geiss confirmed. The UN Secretary-General has repeatedly urged stakeholders to avoid crossing a moral red line with autonomous weapons and has called for more robust regulation and a legally binding treaty on lethal autonomous weapon systems. Geiss mentioned that these appeals are increasingly gaining support across the international community.
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