"Military Use of AI is a Double-Edged Sword"… Opening of REAIM Conference

Co-hosted by Korea and the Netherlands, Opening in Seoul
Adoption of 'Military AI Norms Blueprint' Scheduled for the 10th

The '2024 REAIM High-Level Meeting' discussing the responsible military use of artificial intelligence (AI) technology opened in Seoul.

According to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense on the 9th, the REAIM High-Level Meeting was held in Seoul for two days starting that day. It is a 1.5-track (semi-official, semi-civilian) multilateral forum launched to enhance the international community's understanding of the impact of AI's military use on international peace and security and to contribute to the formation of international norms. Following the first meeting held last year in the Netherlands, the second meeting was co-hosted by Korea and the Netherlands.

On the 9th, the plenary session of the "2024 High-Level Meeting on the Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence (REAIM High-Level Meeting)" is being held at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul.
[Image source=Yonhap News]

This year’s REAIM High-Level Meeting was attended by over 1,000 delegates and guests from more than 90 countries. High-level diplomatic and defense officials from 34 countries, including Cho Tae-yeol, Minister of Foreign Affairs, Kim Yong-hyun, Minister of National Defense, Ruben Brekelmans, Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, Ng Eng Hen, Minister of Defense of Singapore, and Roselinda Soipan Tuya, Minister of Defense of Kenya, were also present.

At the plenary session, military and government officials, corporate representatives, and experts discussed topics such as "The Impact of AI on International Peace and Security" and "Implementation Measures for the Responsible Use of AI in the Military Sector."

At the high-level meeting attended by government representatives from various countries, fundamental principles, priorities, concerns, challenges, and prospects for international cooperation related to AI in the military sector were intensively discussed. A result document titled the "Blueprint for Action" is scheduled to be adopted on the 10th. It is a declarative document presenting a blueprint for establishing norms for AI in the military sector.

Minister of National Defense Kim Yong-hyun said in his welcoming remarks at the opening ceremony, "While AI applied to the military sector dramatically enhances operational capabilities, it also has the characteristics of a 'double-edged sword' that can cause harm through misuse," adding, "We must establish thorough standards and norms regarding the military use of AI."

On the 9th, the plenary session of the "2024 High-Level Meeting on the Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence (REAIM High-Level Meeting)" is being held at Lotte Hotel in Jung-gu, Seoul. [Image source=Yonhap News]

Minister of Foreign Affairs Cho Tae-yeol also emphasized in his opening remarks that while the military use of AI leads military innovation, it can also bring various challenges, and that it is important to establish norms and global governance for responsible AI use to protect international peace, security, and human dignity.

Ruben Brekelmans, Minister of Defense of the Netherlands, evaluated the REAIM High-Level Meeting as a platform for dialogue among stakeholders in forming international norms related to responsible AI use and expressed hope that discussions on norms and global governance for responsible AI use would advance through this high-level meeting.