Global AI Weapons Declaration Fails to Secure US and China Participation

A coalition of 35 countries has endorsed the "Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain" declaration, establishing a framework requiring that humans retain control over AI-powered weapons systems. Notably absent from the signatories are military technology leaders including the United States, China, Russia, India, Israel, and South Korea.

The declaration (full text available via REAIM) outlines three core principles: human responsibility must remain paramount in weapons deployment, AI systems must operate within international legal frameworks, and military AI development requires rigorous testing and governance protocols. This represents the first multilateral attempt to establish accountability structures specifically for AI-enabled weaponry.

While the US declined to sign, State Department officials confirmed continued adherence to the 2023 Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy, which China also endorsed. Analysts note the newer declaration's more explicit linkage of human accountability to weapons systems represents a substantive advancement beyond prior agreements focused on ethical principles.

Significant limitations undermine the declaration's potential impact:

1. Non-binding nature: The agreement carries no enforcement mechanisms or verification requirements
2. Absence of key players: Nations responsible for 85% of global military R&D expenditure are non-signatories
3. Vague definitions: Key terms like "meaningful human control" lack operational specificity
4. Testing protocols: No standardized evaluation framework exists for compliance verification

Military technology analysts emphasize that autonomous weapons systems already deployed commercially—such as drone swarms with target identification capabilities and AI-piloted fighter jet prototypes—operate in regulatory gray zones. The failure of major military powers to endorse this framework suggests continued divergence in global approaches to lethal autonomous systems, potentially accelerating fragmented governance regimes.

Historical context reveals persistent deadlock: UN discussions about autonomous weapons under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons have stalled since 2014, with major powers blocking binding agreements. This declaration's limited adoption signals continued resistance to external oversight of military AI development despite increasing deployment in active conflicts.