Minister of National Defense Kim Yong Hyun on the morning of Sept. 9 gives a welcoming speech at the opening ceremony of the 2024 REAIM (Responsible AI in the Military Domain) Summit at Lotte Hotel in Seoul's Jung-gu District. (Ministry of National Defense)
By Park Hye Ri
The 2024 REAIM (Responsible AI in the Military domain) Summit from Sept. 9-10 at Lotte Hotel in Seoul's Jung-gu District was jointly hosted by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of National Defense.
REAIM is a 1.5-track international and multilateral forum for raising understanding of the effects of military use of artificial intelligence (AI) on international peace and security, as well as contributing to the drafting of relevant international norms. The inaugural summit was held in the Hague, the Netherlands last year and the second in Seoul.
Over 2,000 people including those from government delegations from about 90 countries attended the Seoul event, the Defense Ministry said.
"AI's military application has significantly enhanced operational capability, but this is like a double-edged sword since misuse can cause severe damage," Defense Minister Kim Yong Hyun said in his congratulatory speech at the opening ceremony. "We need balanced understanding and global cooperation for responsible AI use by the military sector."
Dutch Minister of Defense Ruben Brekelmans, whose country jointly hosted the event, said REAIM is a multi-stakeholder dialogue on setting international norms and governance for responsible AI use. He added his hope for advancing discussion of such norms and governance on the occasion of this summit.
The plenary session on Sept. 9 included talks on AI's effects on global peace and security and ways for the military to responsibly use AI.
The event's second day saw a luncheon and roundtable for high-ranking officials and government delegates from each participating country. They discussed the basic principles and priorities for AI in the military as well as concerns and tasks, plus prospects for international cooperation.
The closing ceremony saw the adoption of the declaration Blueprint for Action on proposed norms for military use of AI.
hrhr@korea.kr
