New technologies and AI: envisioning future directions for UNSCR 1540
It addresses the problem of AI-related WMD risks for international security policymakers, proposing incremental updates to an existing framework.
This paper examines how AI integration in the military poses new challenges for UNSCR 1540, which aims to prevent WMD proliferation, by exacerbating existing risks and introducing novel threats, and it calls for expanding the resolution to include AI governance.
This paper investigates the emerging challenges posed by the integration of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the military domain, particularly within the context of United Nations Security Council Resolution 1540 (UNSCR 1540), which seeks to prevent the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs). While the resolution initially focused on nuclear, chemical, and biological threats, the rapid advancement of AI introduces new complexities that were previously unanticipated. We critically analyze how AI can both exacerbate existing risks associated with WMDs (e.g., thorough the deployment of kamikaze drones and killer robots) and introduce novel threats (e.g., by exploiting Generative AI potentialities), thereby compromising international peace and security. The paper calls for an expansion of UNSCR 1540 to address the growing influence of AI technologies in the development, dissemination, and potential misuse of WMDs, urging the creation of a governance framework to mitigate these emerging risks.