Key points
- Defence Minister calls for AI governance under UN Charter
- Urges ban on autonomous systems (drones, etc) lacking human oversight
- Warns AI lowers conflict threshold and threatens global peace
ISLAMABAD: Pakistan has called on the United Nations Security Council to regulate the development and use of artificial intelligence (AI) under the UN Charter, cautioning that unregulated military applications could destabilise international security.
Speaking at a high-level UN debate in New York, Defence Minister Khawaja Muhammad Asif stressed that AI, while offering economic and technological benefits, “must not become a tool of coercion or technological monopoly.” He said AI applications without “meaningful human control” should be prohibited, urging pre-emptive measures to prevent destabilising consequences, Pakistan’s state media reported Thursday.
Asif cited a recent military exchange between India and Pakistan, claiming that “autonomous munitions and high-speed dual-capable cruise missiles” were used, highlighting the risks of weaponising AI. “AI compresses decision-making timelines, reduces opportunities for diplomacy, and blurs the boundaries between cyber, informational, and kinetic domains,” he added as quoted by the Associated Press of Pakistan (APP).
UN Secretary-General António Guterres usetold a Security Council open debate that artificial intelligence (AI) is already transforming global security and conflict dynamics, and called for immediate international regulation to ensure its responsible.
Experts also cautioned against the concentration of AI capabilities in a few countries and corporations. Yejin Choi, a senior fellow at Stanford University’s Institute for Human-Centred AI, told the Council that developing nations risk being left behind. She urged investments in smaller, adaptive systems and ensuring support for underrepresented languages and cultures, according to international media.
US, UK back AI military ‘blueprint’ as China and Russia diverge
The United States and the United Kingdom have endorsed a new “blueprint for action” on the responsible use of artificial intelligence in the military, developed under the Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM) framework. The non-binding guidelines, supported by around 60 countries at the REAIM summit in Seoul, call for risk assessments, human oversight, and preventing AI’s role in weapons of mass destruction.
China declined to support the document, reflecting its more cautious stance on international AI regulation. Russia also opposed binding restrictions, insisting existing humanitarian law is sufficient. India endorsed responsible use but resisted a blanket ban on autonomous weapons, while Pakistan warned of AI’s misuse and broader security risks. Meanwhile, the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots – a global coalition – continues to press for a preemptive ban on lethal autonomous weapons, a step opposed by major powers including the US, UK, Russia, Israel, and South Korea.
