NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – Launching on Thursday, October 22, a new UN forum dedicated to artificial intelligence in international peace and security will be introduced. The UN Institute for Disarmament Research is establishing this initiative through its Centre of Excellence on AI, Peace and Security. The platform will also focus on AI applications within military contexts. According to the institute, this marks the first and only multi-stakeholder forum on this topic within the UN system so far.
Robin Geiss, who serves as Director of UNIDIR, shared the plans during a UN press briefing in New York on Tuesday. He emphasized that participants from all relevant sectors and regions will be involved. The event is expected to include defense tech companies, software developers, subcontractors, and investors, who will collaborate with governments, civil society, academic institutions, and experts. The forum’s supporting centre was established this summer, making it the UN’s first permanent platform dedicated to these issues.
According to Geiss, the forum aims to achieve three primary objectives. The first is creating a framework for responsible conduct in the industry, based on voluntary, practical guidelines that companies would adopt when designing and developing military AI tools. The second goal involves developing an AI security lexicon that clarifies terms like autonomy, safety, and security, which are currently used inconsistently, leading to confusion and hindering trust and cooperation among stakeholders.
Armed groups gain access to easier AI tools
The third objective addresses the danger of AI misuse by non-State armed entities. Geiss explained that such groups could leverage AI for operational planning, execution, and logistics. As these tools become more user-friendly, non-State actors may conduct more advanced military operations. This concern adds to earlier UN efforts on technology-related threats from armed groups. UNIDIR, based in Geneva, is the UN’s independent disarmament research institute.
Geiss highlighted that AI is increasingly likely to replace human decision-making in warfare. Currently, armed forces utilize AI for intelligence analysis, target identification, operating drones, and cyber-attack coordination. He pointed out that human judgment is being displaced, even in the nuclear sphere. Additionally, AI accelerates battlefield operations and enables forces to engage an unprecedented number of targets daily. Many systems operate opaquely, which heightens the risk of errors and unintentional escalation.
Nuclear powers support UN initiative
Geiss noted that geopolitical rivalry continues to pose significant challenges to regulating military AI. Despite this, he observed that concern over the technology is shared across different political perspectives, including among major powers. He referenced a September proposal from the U.S. for an AI notification system with China, which would allow the two largest military spenders to alert each other about AI-related incidents. He regarded this initiative as evidence that AI concerns are crossing political boundaries.
All five principal nuclear nations—United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France—have contributed funding to the Centre of Excellence, Geiss confirmed. The UN Secretary-General has repeatedly urged stakeholders to avoid crossing a moral red line concerning autonomous weapons, advocating for stronger regulation and a legally binding treaty on lethal autonomous weapon systems. Geiss added that these appeals are gaining increasing support across the international community.