US Urges Human Control, Seeks China, Russia Compliance

A senior US official emphasized the need for human control over nuclear weapons, cautioning against allowing artificial intelligence (AI) to make such critical decisions. The official, speaking on Wednesday, urged China and Russia to join the US in ensuring that humans, not AI, have the final say in deploying these powerful weapons. This statement comes as the US aims to take a leading role in global discussions on regulating AI.

“We have made a very clear and strong commitment that the decision to deploy nuclear weapons would only be made by a human being,” said Paul Dean, an arms control official at the State Department, during an online briefing. “We would never defer a decision on nuclear employment to AI,” he added, emphasizing the US’s stance.

Dean also noted that the UK and France have pledged to maintain human control over their nuclear arsenals, highlighting the importance of this norm. He called on Moscow and Beijing to make similar commitments, stating that such a move would be a significant step towards responsible behavior and unity among the UN Security Council’s five permanent members.

This statement by Dean comes amid global efforts to regulate AI, with concerns raised by leaders in technology, academia, and civil society about the potential risks posed by advanced AI systems. Despite these concerns, military applications of AI have not been widely discussed in these efforts. Recent discussions in Vienna have highlighted the challenges of regulating autonomous weapons and the need to address AI’s role in military affairs.

The international community has also been grappling with escalating tensions related to nuclear weapons. The Kremlin’s threats to use nuclear weapons in Ukraine and China’s expansion of its nuclear arsenal have raised concerns. However, both countries have stated their commitment to responsible nuclear policies.

In a related development, the US has accused Russia of violating the Chemical Weapons Convention by deploying chemical weapons against Ukrainian troops. The State Department cited the use of chloropicrin, a chemical that causes irritation and respiratory issues, among other symptoms. Russia has denied these allegations, calling them baseless.

Currently, nine countries possess nuclear weapons, according to the International Campaign to Abolish Nuclear Weapons. In addition to the five permanent Security Council members, Israel, India, Pakistan, and North Korea are believed to possess nuclear weapons. The majority of these warheads are held by Russia and the US.

The US official’s remarks underscore the growing concerns about the intersection of AI and nuclear weapons and the need for international cooperation to address these challenges.