US military's potential use of AI to 'affect war decisions' undermines ethical restraints: China

ISTANBUL

China warned on Wednesday that the US military's potential use of artificial intelligence (AI) to "affect war decisions" could undermine ethical restraints and accountability.

Defense Ministry spokesman Jiang Bin made the remarks in response to reports that the US Defense Department has demanded that American tech companies allow the military unrestricted access to AI technologies.

The US military used artificial intelligence extensively in military operations against Venezuela and Iran, according to the Global Times.

Responding to those reports, Jiang Bin said China opposes “taking advantage of the lead in AI and other emerging technologies to pursue absolute military dominance or undermine the sovereignty and territorial security of other countries.”

He added that “using AI as a tool to violate the sovereignty of other nations, allowing AI to excessively affect war decisions, and giving algorithms the power to determine life and death not only erode ethical restraints and accountability in wars but also risk technological runaway.”

“A dystopia depicted in the American film The Terminator could one day come true,” the ministry spokesman warned.

He stressed that Beijing believes all relevant weapon systems “must be put under human control,” and “human primacy” must be upheld in military applications of AI.

“China will work with other nations to advance multilateral AI governance with UN centrality, strengthen risk prevention and control, and ensure that AI always develops in a direction conducive to the progress of human civilization,” he added.