NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research is set to introduce a novel platform dedicated to examining artificial intelligence within the scope of global peace and security issues, scheduled for Thursday. This initiative, managed by the institute’s Centre of Excellence on AI, Peace and Security, aims to address AI’s applications in military contexts. UNIDIR emphasizes that it is the first and only multi-stakeholder forum of this type within the United Nations system to date. The official launch is planned for October 22.
UNIDIR Director Robin Geiss unveiled details about this upcoming forum during a briefing at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday, highlighting that it will convene participants from all relevant sectors and regions. The consultations will involve defense technology companies, software developers, subcontractors, and investors, working alongside governments, civil society organizations, academia, and independent experts. As the UN’s autonomous research body on disarmament based in Geneva, Geiss stressed that it is now crucial to combine efforts and confront the challenges posed by military AI head-on.
According to Geiss, the forum’s focus will be on three core themes. The first involves establishing a responsible industry framework by developing practical, voluntary guidelines for companies involved in the design and development of military AI systems. The second centers on creating an AI security lexicon to clarify essential terms such as autonomy, safety, and security, which are currently used with varying interpretations by different stakeholders, thereby causing ambiguity that hampers trust and cooperation.
Addressing Risks of Misuse and Accelerated Warfare
The third key area concerns the potential misuse of AI by non-State armed groups, which could leverage the technology for operational planning, execution, and logistics support. Geiss pointed out that some armed groups are already employing AI in such ways and emphasized that the increasing ease of use for these tools allows non-State actors to conduct more advanced military operations. This summer, the Centre of Excellence was established as the first permanent UN platform dedicated specifically to these critical issues.
Geiss warned that the role of human judgment in warfare is rapidly diminishing. He noted that AI is already extensively used for intelligence analysis, target identification, and drone operations. Additionally, AI is increasingly deployed to coordinate cyber-attacks. He stressed that the scope for human oversight is narrowing, even within nuclear contexts, which accelerates the pace of battlefield activities and reduces the window for human intervention between target identification and strike execution.
Geopolitical Factors Hamper Effective Regulation
Geiss also pointed out that many military AI systems operate in a manner that is opaque, increasing the likelihood of errors, miscalculations, and unintended escalation. He described geopolitical rivalry and mounting tensions as significant barriers to establishing effective regulation of these technologies. Despite these challenges, there is a shared concern among different political factions, including the major military powers. He referenced a September proposal from the U.S. aimed at creating an AI notification mechanism with China, enabling the two largest military spenders to alert each other about AI-related incidents.
The Centre of Excellence has secured funding from all five major nuclear-armed states—United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France—according to Geiss. UN Secretary-General António Guterres has repeatedly urged nations to avoid crossing ethical red lines concerning autonomous weapons that target humans, advocating instead for a legally binding treaty to regulate lethal autonomous weapon systems. Geiss indicated that these calls are increasingly echoed across the international community, reflecting a growing consensus on the matter.