Experts call for AI regulation amid growing role in warfare

TAIPEI (TVBS News) — The rapid expansion of artificial intelligence in warfare is reshaping the global security landscape, as highlighted at the KAS Australia and the Pacific Security Conference 2024 in Canberra, Australia, on Oct. 28. Shiri Krebs, professor of law and director of the Centre for Law as Protection, Deakin University, raised alarms over the clandestine AI arms race, underscoring the challenges in gauging the cyber capabilities of various nations. Unlike nuclear weapons, AI technologies cannot be openly tested, creating an environment of uncertainty and assumption.

The Growing Role of AI in Warfare

Peter Anstee, first assistant secretary of the Department of Home Affairs' Cyber and Technology Security Policy Division in Australia, emphasized the urgency for nations to adopt AI tools in military and intelligence contexts. "There's a strong appetite and necessity to adopt these tools," Anstee stated, noting that adversaries are already showcasing formidable capabilities. This adoption is crucial, he added, to keep pace with global advancements in AI-driven warfare.

Anstee also stressed the importance of human decision-makers in the "kill chain," a concept that requires human oversight in offensive and defensive cyber activities. "At the moment, the sort of principled approach is that you always have to have a human decision maker," he explained. However, he acknowledged that the current cyber domain does not yet allow for real-time offense-defense activities without human intervention.

Human Limits in AI-Driven Combat
Krebs further illuminated the issue of human cognitive limits in the face of advanced AI systems. She referenced companies producing drones for conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, highlighting the concept of swarm drones controlled by a single individual. "You can have now one individual as providing guidance or controlling, I don't know, 300 drones," Krebs said. This scenario raises critical questions about human capacity to respond effectively to AI-generated targets from multiple drones simultaneously.

The evolution of AI in warfare demands comprehensive legislation to bridge the widening gap between AI capabilities and human cognitive limits. As AI continues to transform warfare, from cyber operations to drone swarms, the call for robust regulatory frameworks grows increasingly urgent.

The discussions at the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) conference underscored the necessity for nations to not only invest in AI technologies but also to develop policies ensuring the ethical and effective use of AI in military applications. The complexity of integrating AI into warfare extends beyond simple yes or no answers, requiring a nuanced understanding of the balance between technological advancement and human intervention.