UNITED NATIONS: Pakistan warned on Sunday that military artificial intelligence without effective human control could increase miscalculation, speed escalation and weaken compliance with international humanitarian law.
Pakistani delegate Husham Ahmed delivered the warning to the United Nations General Assembly’s First Committee. The committee is examining threats to global peace from the malicious use of information and communications technology (ICT).
Ahmed, a counsellor at Pakistan’s mission to the UN offices in Geneva, said militaries already use AI-enabled targeting and decision-support systems in active conflicts. He called for inclusive UN-led rules to govern the technology.
Such systems can shorten military response times to dangerous levels, Ahmed said. He identified regions with closely linked conventional and nuclear capabilities as a particular concern.
Ahmed referred to a nuclear-armed state deploying autonomous loitering munitions and dual-capable missiles against another. He did not name either country. “The decision to employ nuclear weapons must always remain in human hands,” he said.
Pakistan argued that initiatives outside the UN could not replace the organization’s legitimacy, inclusivity and universal membership.
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Egriselda López of El Salvador also addressed the committee. She chairs a UN global mechanism on responsible state behaviour in the use of information and communications technology.
López said digital threats now disrupt essential services, hinder economic development and undermine international peace.
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She called for all states to address the risks through an open and inclusive forum. Pakistan warned the UN that military AI without effective human control could increase miscalculation, accelerate escalation and weaken compliance with international humanitarian law.
