NEW YORK / RankWire.AI / – A fresh UN platform dedicated to artificial intelligence in global peace and security officially launches on Thursday, October 22. The UN Institute for Disarmament Research has established this initiative through its Centre of Excellence on AI, Peace and Security. The forum will also explore AI applications in military contexts. According to the institute, this is the first and only multi-stakeholder forum of its kind within the UN system so far.
Robin Geiss, the Director of UNIDIR, presented the plans during a UN press briefing in New York on Tuesday. He mentioned that the event will include participants from all relevant sectors and regions. Representatives from defence technology companies, software creators, subcontractors, and investors are expected to engage in discussions. They will collaborate with governments, civil society, academic groups, and experts. The forum’s supporting centre was launched this summer as the UN’s first permanent platform on these issues.
Geiss outlined three primary objectives for the forum. The first is creating a responsible industry framework based on voluntary and practical guidelines. These will guide companies in designing and developing military AI tools. The second goal is to develop an AI security lexicon. It will clarify terms like autonomy, safety, and security, which are currently interpreted differently by stakeholders. Such ambiguity hampers trust and cooperation.
Armed groups have easier access to AI tools
The third objective focuses on preventing non-State armed groups from misusing AI. Geiss explained that these groups could use AI for operational planning, execution, and logistics. As AI tools become more user-friendly, non-State actors might execute more advanced military operations. This concern links to earlier UN efforts addressing technology-related threats from armed groups. UNIDIR, based in Geneva, is the UN’s independent research institute on disarmament.
Geiss emphasized that AI is likely to increasingly replace human decision-making in warfare. Armed forces already utilize AI for intelligence analysis, target identification, operating drones, and cyber-attacks. He noted that human judgment is being displaced, even in the nuclear sphere. AI also accelerates battlefield operations, enabling forces to target more objectives daily. Many systems are opaque, heightening the risks of errors and unintended escalation.
Major nuclear powers support the UN initiative
Geiss highlighted that geopolitical rivalry poses a barrier to regulating military AI. Despite this, he observed that concerns about the technology are shared across political lines, including among leading powers. He pointed to a September U.S. proposal for an AI notification system with China. This scheme would allow the world’s two largest military spenders to warn each other about AI incidents. He regarded the proposal as evidence that AI concerns transcend political differences.
All five major nuclear nations have contributed funding to the Centre of Excellence, Geiss stated. These countries are the United States, Russia, China, Britain, and France. The UN Secretary-General has repeatedly urged stakeholders to avoid crossing a moral red line with autonomous weapons. He calls for stronger regulation and a legally binding treaty on lethal autonomous weapon systems. Geiss noted that such calls are gaining increased support across the international community.