In the wake of the wrong targeting of a drone strike by the Nigerian Army, claiming many lives in Kaduna, weekend, the United States government, on Thursday, called for the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence by the military.
Speaking in Abuja, the Principal Deputy Assistant Secretary in the Bureau of Arms Control, Deterrence and Stability at the US Department of State, Paul Dean, called for the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence to avoid unintended consequences.
“So, first of all, deep condolences on the tragedy that happened over this week. I do think your question raises the very salient point that artificial intelligence will help militaries improve their operations in a very tangible way.
“Artificial intelligence will help militaries deliver on their international humanitarian law obligations. It will help militaries improve efficiency, eliminate biases and improve overall decision making.
“And this, I think, will be of enormous value to global stability. We want to encourage the positive applications of artificial intelligence in the military.
“The initiative that we and our partners have launched just last month is centred around achieving just that, maximising the tremendous value of artificial intelligence in military applications and at the same time ensuring the international community has coalesced around a series of norms of responsible behaviour to make sure that we are reducing the risk of unintended consequences or negative applications.
“So, we are convinced that when states commit themselves to using this technology in a predictable, transparent, stable and responsible way, the international community will be in the position of maximising the advantages while reducing the risks of an irresponsible approach.”
He however, commended the commitment of the Nigerian government to responsible behaviour and stability.
“I think Nigeria is a natural leader in this area, and their commitment to the responsible behaviour and stability that I’ve heard during my visit here convinces me that Nigeria would be an indispensable and valuable partner whose perspective would greatly add to the discussion of how the international community can ensure that artificial intelligence in the military is incorporated in a safe, stable and reliable manner,” he said.
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