REAIM 2023

• 18 Feb 2023

Prelims: REAIM 2023, Artificial Intelligence, Responsible AI.

Mains: REAIM 2023, Pros and Cons of using AI in military, Ethical Principles for AI

Why in News?

Recently, the world’s First International Summit on the Responsible Use of Artificial intelligence in the Military (REAIM 2023) was held in the Hague, Netherlands.

What are the Key Highlights of the Summit?

• Themes:
  • Mythbusting AI: Breaking Down the Characteristics of AI
  • Responsible deployment and use of AI
  • Governance frameworks
• Objectives:
  • Putting the topic of ‘responsible AI in the military domain’ higher on the political agenda;
  • Mobilising and activating a wide group of stakeholders to contribute to concrete next steps;
  • Fostering and increasing knowledge by sharing experiences, best practices and solutions.
• Participants:
  • The conference, co-hosted by South Korea, hosted 80 government delegations (including those from the US and China), and over 100s of researchers and defense contractors.
    • India was not a participant in the summit.
  • REAIM 2023 brought together governments, corporations, academia, startups, and civil societies to raise awareness, discuss issues, and possibly, agree on common principles in deploying and using AI in armed conflicts.
• Call on Action:
  • Appealed to the multi-stakeholder community to build common standards to mitigate risks arising from the use of AI.
  • The US called for the responsible use of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military domain and proposed a declaration which would include ‘human accountability’.
  • The proposal said AI-weapons systems should involve “appropriate levels of human judgment”.
    • The US and China signed the declaration alongside more than 60 nations.
• Opportunities and Concerns:
  • Artificial intelligence is bringing about fundamental changes to our world, including in the military domain.
  • While the integration of AI technologies creates unprecedented opportunities to boost human capabilities, especially in terms of decision-making, it also raises significant legal, security-related and ethical concerns in areas like transparency, reliability, predictability, accountability and bias.
  • These concerns are amplified in the high-risk military context.
• Explainability in AI as a Solution:
  • To remove bias from AI systems, researchers have resorted to ‘explainability’.
  • Explainable AI seeks to address the lack of information around how decisions are made.
  • This in turn will help remove biases and make the algorithm fairer. But, in the end, the call to make a final decision will rest with a human in the loop.

How can a Responsible AI be Ensured Aligning with Ethical Principles?

• Ethical Guidelines for AI Development and Deployment:
  • It can help ensure that developers and organizations are working towards the same ethical standards and that AI systems are designed with ethical considerations in mind.
• Implement Accountability Mechanisms:
  • Developers and Organizations should be held accountable for the impact of their AI systems.
  • It can include establishing clear lines of responsibility and liability, as well as creating reporting mechanisms for any incidents or issues that arise.
• Foster Transparency:
  • AI systems should be transparent in terms of how they make decisions and what data they use to do so.
  • It helps ensure that AI systems are fair and not biased towards certain groups or individuals.
• Protect Privacy:
  • Organizations should take steps to protect the privacy of individuals whose data is used by AI systems.
    • It can include using anonymized data, obtaining consent from individuals, and establishing clear data protection policies.
• Involve Diverse Stakeholders:
  • It is important to involve a diverse range of stakeholders in the development and deployment of AI, including individuals from different backgrounds and perspectives.
  • It will help ensure that AI systems are designed with the needs and concerns of different groups in mind.
• Conduct Regular Ethical Audits:
  • Organizations should conduct regular audits of their AI systems to ensure that they are aligned with ethical principles and values. This can help identify any issues or areas for improvement and ensure that AI systems continue to operate in an ethical and responsible manner.

Source: TH