Rheinmetall CEO Calls for Ban on AI Weapons Use, Urges Global Rules

Armin Papperger, CEO of German defense contractor Rheinmetall, has urged for international rules to govern the use of artificial intelligence in warfare, stressing that humans must retain ultimate control over lethal force.

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Technologically, a lot will be possible in the next ten years – it's going up exponentially.

"Technologically, a lot will be possible in the next ten years – it's going up exponentially," Papperger told the German Press Agency at the Eurosatory defense trade show in Paris. He advocated for regulations akin to those for nuclear weapons, establishing clear boundaries for AI's role in conflict. "No company or individual can set this, but it must be done through an ethics council or a UN resolution," he stated.

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No company or individual can set this, but it must be done through an ethics council or a UN resolution.

Rheinmetall produces drones, military vehicles, and ships that utilize AI for autonomous navigation. However, Papperger emphasized that human oversight remains paramount. "We do not produce a single system where the human does not make the final decision," he asserted. "This is Rheinmetall's ethical approach as a company: there is always a 'Human in the Loop,' the human makes the final decision."

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We do not produce a single system where the human does not make the final decision.

While technologically feasible today, both Rheinmetall and its NATO clients refrain from granting AI final authority over the use of force. Papperger expressed concern that a divergence in international policy, where an adversary might allow AI full decision-making power in a conflict, could necessitate a global standard. "Worldwide valid rules are important to prevent this," he concluded.

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This is Rheinmetall's ethical approach as a company: there is always a 'Human in the Loop,' the human makes the final decision.