‘Machine warfare is coming’: US, China urged to address military AI as global rules stall

The head of a United Nations security think tank has issued a stark warning about the accelerating integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into warfare, urging pragmatic dialogue between global powers and industry. Robin Geiss, director of the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research (UNIDIR), stated during a lecture at Tsinghua University in Beijing that "machine warfare is coming."

“

Machine warfare is coming.

Geiss emphasized that AI is fundamentally reshaping military operations through autonomous weapon systems and an unprecedented pace of battle. He described the current global security environment as "dangerous," citing proliferation pressures, geopolitical tensions, and the destabilizing effect of AI on the existing international system, particularly concerning nuclear weapons.

While acknowledging that a global convention on regulating military AI is unrealistic in the current geopolitical climate, Geiss noted broad agreement on core principles. These include the application of international humanitarian law to AI weaponry, the necessity of maintaining human control over the use of force, and keeping nuclear command and control strictly outside AI's purview.

“

Proliferation pressures, a lot of tension in the world, not enough discussion among the superpowers around nuclear weapons, plus AI destabilising the entire system – that is just not a good mix.

To mitigate the risk of unintended crises, Geiss proposed a moratorium on crossing critical technical thresholds, to be defined by scientists. He specifically called for the United States and China, as the leading AI powers, to spearhead this discussion. Retired PLA senior colonel Zhou Bo echoed this sentiment, suggesting the two nations should lead rule-making rather than waiting for European initiatives.

“

If I could make a wish, I think that would be an issue that should be addressed between the United States and China.