Choi Suyeon and Park Shinseo, students from the Department of Law at National Pukyong University (President Bae Sanghoon), achieved first place among undergraduates at the 25th International Law Paper Competition, hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Korean Society of International Law.
They received the Encouragement Award for their paper, "The Military Use of Artificial Intelligence in Wartime and the Limitations of Applying International Humanitarian Law" (supervising professor Kim Hyogwon). Since there were no Grand Prize or Excellence Award winners at this year's competition, they were recognized as the top undergraduate team.
This competition, regarded as the most prestigious in the field of international law, is known for its rigorous and strict judging criteria. The National Pukyong University students were highly evaluated for discussing how international humanitarian law, which regulates the rules of engagement for combatants during wartime, applies to the use of AI technology, and for pointing out the limitations of current international humanitarian law in governing AI technologies used in wartime.
Choi Suyeon stated, "Although autonomous weapon systems used in wartime employ AI technology, this does not mean the two concepts are identical," and argued, "It is necessary to distinguish between autonomous weapon systems and AI technology in the process of applying international humanitarian law."
Park Shinseo noted, "Suicide drones like Harpy use AI technology, but there are also military AI systems such as the Lavender system that are not used as weapons," adding, "Autonomous weapon systems should be understood as weapons capable of identifying, selecting, and engaging targets based on autonomy, while wartime AI should be seen as a combat method that generates outputs through inference."
They further argued that the principles of distinction and proportionality, as stipulated by international humanitarian law, ultimately presuppose human intervention and judgment.
They also emphasized, "We wrote this paper to raise awareness about the potential illegality and risks involved when AI technology is used universally and generally in wartime without human intervention in the future."
© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.
