Question
To ask Her Majesty's Government how they seek to reconcile a focus on tackling the proliferation of advanced military technologies with prioritising the development and integration of new technologies “required for near-peer, high-tech warfighting”, such as “AI-enabled autonomous capabilities” as identified in the Ministry of Defence’s Defence in a Competitive Age paper, published in March 2021.
Answer
The Ministry of Defence is committed to developing and deploying AI-enabled systems responsibly and promoting responsible use worldwide.
The UK will work with allies and partners to address the issue of proliferation of advanced military technologies such as AI-enabled autonomous capabilities. This will include reinforcement of the disarmament and export control regimes, treaties and organisations; development of the means of preventing AI proliferation or misuse; and monitoring the risks of AI exacerbating existing counter-proliferation and arms control challenges. This will ensure that the opportunities gained from the development and integration of new technologies are balanced with appropriate controls.