The US called on China and Russia to commit that AI should not decide on the deployment of nuclear weapons

The US called on China and Russia to commit that AI should not decide on the deployment of nuclear weapons

Kyiv  •  UNN

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The United States has called on China and Russia to commit that only humans, not AI, will make decisions about the deployment of nuclear weapons, seeking to establish an important norm of responsible behavior among the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

US State Department arms control spokesman Paul Dean on Thursday called on China and Russia to agree with statements by the US and other countries that only humans, not artificial intelligence, will make decisions on the deployment of nuclear weapons, UNN reports citing Reuters.

Details

State Department spokesman Paul Dean said in an online briefing that Washington has made a "clear and firm commitment" that humans have full control over nuclear weapons, adding that France and the United Kingdom have done the same.

"We would welcome a similar statement from China and the Russian Federation," said Ding, first deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence and Stability.

"We think it is an extremely important norm of responsible behavior, and we think it would be very desirable in the context of the P5," he said, referring to the five permanent members of the UN Security Council.

Dean's remarks come as the administration of US President Joe Biden seeks to deepen separate discussions with China on both nuclear weapons policy and artificial intelligence.

The Chinese Ministry of Defense did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Addendum

The topic of the spread of artificial intelligence technologies came to the surface during large-scale talks between US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken and Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi in Beijing on April 26, the publication points out.

The two sides have agreed to hold their first bilateral talks on artificial intelligence in the coming weeks, Blinken said, adding that they will share views on how best to manage the risks and security associated with the technology.

As part of the normalization of military communications, U.S. and Chinese officials resumed nuclear weapons talks in January, but formal arms control negotiations are not expected in the near future.

China, which is expanding its nuclear weapons capabilities, in February called on the largest nuclear powers to first conclude a treaty on the non-use of nuclear weapons, the newspaper said.