Defence Minister Bill Blair says Canada is working to integrate artificial intelligence (AI) into the military, but the technology will not replace humans.
Blair made the remarks at a summit in Seoul, South Korea, where Canada was among 61 countries that endorsed a new document on the responsible military use of AI.
The minister said Ottawa is working to make the Canadian Armed Forces an “AI-enabled” organization by 2030, as part of a strategy launched earlier this year. He said it is essential that the military harness the technology “effectively and ethically,” according to a text of his remarks at the summit on “Responsible AI in the Military.”
This implies that “humans always remain at the forefront of important decisions with appropriate accountability mechanisms remaining in place,” Blair argues.
“Transforming all aspects of military affairs”
The strategy document says Canada’s allies are rapidly adopting AI and warns that Canada must keep pace, noting that the technology is also becoming more accessible to potential adversaries.
Among the countries supporting Seoul’s action plan are allies such as the United States, Britain, Germany and France, according to a list posted on the summit’s website. China and Russia are not on the list of countries endorsing the deal, nor is Israel.
The ministerial meeting in South Korea follows an inaugural summit in the Netherlands last year, at which countries including Canada backed an earlier document.
The action plan for this week’s event says AI “has extraordinary potential to transform every aspect of military affairs,” but also warns that military use of AI could pose humanitarian, societal and ethical risks.
Accountability
Technology, the text states, must be used in accordance with applicable national and international law, and that “responsibility and accountability can never be transferred to machines.” It also calls for “safeguards to reduce the risk of malfunctions or unintended consequences,” including due to bias in data or algorithms.
Humans should be able to understand, explain and trust the results of AI systems, the paper says, and encourages a common understanding and open discussion about the application of AI in the military.
The document states that “AI applications in the military domain should be developed, deployed and used in a manner that preserves and does not compromise international peace, security and stability.”