Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul delivers an opening speech at the 2024 Responsible AI in the Military Domain Summit (REAIM) in Seoul, Monday. Newsis

Artificial intelligence (AI) is increasingly shaping military strategies, as is evident in the ongoing war in Ukraine and the latest conflicts in the Middle East. AI is being utilized in various military applications, including autonomous weapons, logistics, strategy development, cybersecurity and even decision-making processes.

However, the absence of a globally acknowledged governance framework for the military use of AI has created a dangerous regulatory void, raising concerns that unchecked AI-powered military technologies could threaten international peace and stability.

In response to this challenge, defense and government officials, representatives from international organizations and experts from around the world gathered in Seoul, Monday, for the 2024 Responsible AI in the Military Domain Summit (REAIM). The summit serves as a global forum for discussions on establishing governance for AI in military applications.

Jointly organized by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of National Defense, this was the second summit of its kind, following the 2023 session held in The Hague, Netherlands. This year's event was co-hosted by Korea, Netherlands, Singapore, Kenya and the United Kingdom, according to the organizers.

Under the theme "Responsible AI for a Safer Tomorrow," the summit invited 2,000 participants from 90 countries for its two-day run.

During his opening remarks, Foreign Minister Cho Tae-yul emphasized three key pillars — assessments, application and anchoring of governance — to ensure responsible use of AI in the military sector.

"Today's military AI goes beyond mere imitation. Rather, it is transforming the entire dynamics of military operations, emerging as our strategist, field commander and soldier, often blurring the lines between them," he said.

Participants attend the opening ceremony of the 2024 Responsible AI in the Military Domain Summit (REAIM) at a hotel in Seoul, Monday. Newsis

"We must discuss the governance framework that will anchor our guardrails and outline specific actions for responsible AI. Achieving this cannot be the work of states alone; it demands an inclusive, multi-stakeholder approach," the minister added.

Defense Minister Kim Yong-hyun described AI as a "double-edged sword."

"While the application of AI in the military sector is dramatically enhancing operational capabilities, it also possesses the characteristics of a double-edged sword, as it can lead to harm if misused," Kim said in his welcoming remarks.

"We must establish thorough standards and norms regarding the military use of artificial intelligence. The Ministry of National Defense of the Republic of Korea will continue to work closely with the international community to ensure that ethical standards are strictly adhered in the application of AI technology."

The opening ceremony was followed by a plenary session where military and private-sector officials, along with academia, discussed the implications of AI for global peace and security.

The speakers included Gen. Lee Young-soo, chief of staff of the ROK Air Force; Frederick Choo, deputy secretary of Singapore's Ministry of Defence; Mike Baylor, chief digital and AI officer at Lockheed Martin; Saeed Aldhaheri, director of the Center for Future Studies at the University of Dubai; and Paul Scharre, executive vice president at the Center for a New American Security.

Lee noted that AI has already transformed the battlefield, as seen in the Ukraine war and the Israel-Hamas conflict, and that the speed of this transformation will only accelerate.

Baylor emphasized that manufacturers, policymakers and users of the technology must cooperate to establish guardrails for AI. He also warned about regulations struggling to keep pace with the rapidly developing technology.

Models of Korea's domestically developed KF-21 fighter jet are on display at the 2024 Responsible AI in the Military Domain Summit (REAIM) at a hotel in Seoul, Monday. Yonhap

The summit also featured group sessions on various topics, such as bias in military AI, regional perspectives on AI governance and the risks AI poses to cybersecurity in the military domain.

On Tuesday, the second day of the summit, a ministerial-level roundtable will provide opportunities for representatives of participating nations to exchange views on responsible military AI. The summit will conclude with participants' official endorsement of the "Blueprint for Action," summarizing the outcomes of the discussions.

Russia was not invited to the REAIM for the second consecutive time amid international condemnation of its invasion of Ukraine. The United States and China, both intensifying their competition in military AI, attended the summit for the second time.