The European Parliament drafted a report entitled Artificial intelligence: questions of interpretation and application of international law in so far as the EU is affected in the areas of civil and military uses and of state authority outside the scope of criminal justice.
Name in original language
Resolution on AI: Questions of Interpretation and Application of International Law
Initiative overview
A significant portion of the report is devoted to the military uses of AI, the development of which for their armed forces is regarded as a priority by all the main global powers. The report approaches the issue from three different angles.First of all, it reiterates the principles which should govern all military uses of AI, whatever form they may take: processing of information for military purposes, military logistics, collaborative combat' and real-time support for decision-making, defensive systems, all weapons using AI including lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS). Secondly, specific principles are set out for LAWS, given the threat level they pose as highlighted by the European Parliament in its resolution of 12 September 2018. Finally, the report addresses the role of the European Defence Fund, which already finances military research projects implementing AI, evidence that the EU is already directly involved in the military use of AI. Date of adoption of the resolution at the European Parliament plenary: 19 January 2021.The initiative has the following objectives:To address military uses of AI, the implications of AI for the authority of states in non-military matters and the impact of the use of AI on international private law.
