Objectivity Seen as Key to Screening AI Weapons

Tokyo, June 8 (Jiji Press)--Japan's Defense Ministry has compiled guidelines on ensuring appropriate human involvement in the research and development of defense equipment using artificial intelligence.

While the guidelines are expected to cover R&D activities on equipment including unmanned combat-support drones and unmanned ships, how objectivity and reliability should be secured remains a key challenge as such activities are screened by officials at the ministry.

The effectiveness of the guidelines also hinges on to what extent private-sector companies participating in R&D programs disclose AI data concerning intellectual property.

How to regulate lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS), which attack targets after AI identifies and selects them, without human involvement, is being discussed at the United Nations.

The Japanese government takes the stance that it has no intention to develop lethal weapons that operate completely autonomously without human involvement or to conduct R&D on defense equipment whose use is banned under international and domestic laws.

[Copyright The Jiji Press, Ltd.]