The Nexus Between Responsible Military AI and International Law
The Nexus Between Responsible Military AI and International Law
States and international organizations are increasingly adopting new principles on the responsible military and defense-related use of artificial intelligence (AI). While most take the form of policies, States and international organizations tend to call them principles to reflect that they are a set of guiding criteria. Often, they are referred to as principles on responsible AI (RAI), a term that originates from ethical guidance on the civilian development and use of AI.
This post explores the fundamental tenets of the nexus between international law and the principles on the responsible development, deployment, and use of AI for military and defense purposes. It first identifies the context, substance, and form of the RAI principles. The post then discusses how they relate to and potentially shape international law now and in the future. It commends such principles as building blocks for further international legal developments and calls for their further refinement by States.
Dr Tobias Vestner is the Director of the Research and Policy Advice Department and the Head of the Security and Law Programme at the GCSP. He is an Honorary Senior Research Fellow at the University of Exeter, a Fellow at Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, and a Non-Resident Fellow at the United Nations Institute for Disarmament Research. He serves as reserve Legal Advisor at the Swiss Armed Forces Staff.
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