Head of PLA Expert and Scholar Delegation Discusses AI Development: Opposes the Research and Use of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Lacking Human Control

[Global Times - Global Network Report by reporters Guo Yuandan and Su Yaxuan] The application of AI in the military field is one of the hot topics at this year's Shangri-La Dialogue. On the afternoon of May 30, Professor Meng Xiangqing, head of the delegation of experts and scholars from the People's Liberation Army, responded to the topic of AI at a parallel session of the Shangri-La Dialogue. He stated that China emphasizes that the ultimate decision-making power of weapon systems must be in human hands and opposes the development and use of lethal intelligent weapons that lack human control capabilities.

"Historically, any major scientific and technological invention and creation has had a significant impact on human social consciousness in two ways," Meng Xiangqing said. "On one hand, it has brought tremendous development to human society, while on the other hand, it may also bring great disasters to human society."

When discussing the impact of artificial intelligence on warfare, Meng Xiangqing believes that several military conflicts in recent years have profoundly reflected the influence of AI, while also indicating that the militarization of artificial intelligence is showing increasingly dangerous trends. For example, the use of various large models plays a significant role in decision-making, which is the supportive role of artificial intelligence in war decision-making.

As a responsible major power, China has always played an active role in the management of emerging technologies. In his remarks before the interactive session, Meng Xiangqing stated that it is necessary to actively manage the risks of emerging technologies to prevent a "regulatory vacuum" in the military field. He believes that allowing algorithms to control life and death could very likely lead to a loss of control over technology, even making the scenes from the American movie "Terminator" a reality.

"At all times, it is essential to ensure that the control of war and related weapon systems is firmly in human hands. China has submitted a position paper on regulating the military application of artificial intelligence under the framework of the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons, supporting the establishment of a legally binding international document when conditions are ripe," Meng Xiangqing stated.