NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – The United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research is launching a new platform focused on artificial intelligence in the context of international peace and security on Thursday. This initiative also encompasses the application of AI within military operations. It is being established by the institute’s Centre of Excellence on AI, Peace and Security. According to UNIDIR, it is the first and only multi-stakeholder forum of its kind within the UN system to date. The official launch is scheduled for October 22.
UNIDIR Director Robin Geiss announced the new forum during a briefing at UN Headquarters in New York on Tuesday. He emphasized that participants from all relevant sectors and regions will be brought together. The consultation process will include defense technology firms, software developers, subcontractors, and investors. These groups will collaborate with governments, civil society organizations, academia, and independent experts. The Geneva-based research body describes itself as the UN’s independent authority on disarmament issues. Geiss highlighted that now is the time to combine efforts and directly address the challenges posed by military AI.
The forum will concentrate on three main areas, according to Geiss. The first involves establishing a framework for responsible behavior within the industry. This framework aims to offer practical, voluntary guidelines for companies during the design and development of military AI systems. The second area focuses on creating an AI security lexicon that clarifies vital concepts such as autonomy, safety, and security. Currently, these terms are often interpreted differently by various stakeholders, leading to ambiguity that impairs trust and collaboration.
Focus on misuse and rapid warfare escalation
The third area addresses the danger of non-State armed groups misusing AI. Such groups might exploit the technology to assist with operational planning, execution, and logistics. Geiss noted that some armed organizations are already employing AI in this manner. He pointed out that AI tools are becoming more user-friendly, enabling non-State actors to execute more advanced military operations. The Centre of Excellence, established this summer, is the UN’s first permanent platform dedicated specifically to these issues.
Geiss warned that the influence of human judgment in warfare is shrinking rapidly. He observed that AI is already widely utilized for intelligence analysis, target identification, and drone operations. AI is also increasingly employed to coordinate cyber-attacks. He emphasized that the scope for human intervention is narrowing, including in nuclear-related scenarios. This shift is significantly accelerating battlefield operations and reducing the time between target identification and engagement.
Geopolitical tensions hinder regulation efforts
Geiss pointed out that many military AI systems remain opaque, which heightens the risk of errors, misjudgments, and unintended escalation. He described geopolitical competition and rising tensions as major obstacles to effective regulation. Nonetheless, concerns about AI are shared across political spectrums, including among leading global powers. He mentioned a September U.S. proposal for an AI notification mechanism with China, intended to enable the two largest military spenders to alert each other about AI-related incidents.
Geiss stated that all five major nuclear powers—United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France—have contributed funding to the Centre of Excellence. He also cited UN Secretary-General António Guterres’s repeated calls for nations to avoid crossing a moral red line concerning autonomous weapons targeting humans. Guterres has advocated for a legally binding treaty addressing lethal autonomous weapon systems. Geiss noted that such appeals are increasingly echoed across the international community.
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