REMIT partner Erasmus University Rotterdam (EUR) has contributed their research for the project’s new dashboard on the European Union and Military AI governance.
Given the intricate nature of global military AI regulation, key responsible stakeholders should be involved in addressing specific challenges within this realm; otherwise, applications of military AI could undermine global stability and increase strategic risks. To this end, the European Union (EU) has demonstrated an interest in military AI (which it is potentially capable of actively regulating) for various compelling reasons.
To understand how the EU should direct its efforts in global governance of military AI, an online survey was administered to experts specializing in the field of military AI. The survey was conducted by Erasmus University Rotterdam between 24 October and 23 November 2023, targeting researchers with expertise in European defence and military policy.
A diverse set of sources was used to compile the list of experts for this survey: (1) experts registered in the Confederation of Laboratories for Artifcial Intelligence Research in Europe (CLAIRE); (2) researchers based at the 251 European research institutions highlighted in the 2020 Global Go To Tink Tank Index (GGTTI); (3) researchers from the top 50 European universities in the 2023 QS World University Rankings for Politics; (4) authors or academics who have published on military AI, specifcally emphasizing the European Union or other European countries; (5) speakers at the 2023 REAIM Summit; and (6) active individual users of X (formerly Twitter), who have created original content on the subject of military AI within the European Union between 2021 and 2023. In total, 2,996 individuals were approached, 479 of whom responded, achieving a response rate of 15.98%.
One segment of the survey focused on gathering experts’ opinions on the degree and breadth of the EU’s involvement in regulating military AI on a global scale. These inquiries sought opinions on the EU’s willingness and capability to take a leading role in military AI regulation as well as prioritization matters. In addition, the survey included questions about the stakeholders and actors that the Union should consider, and the format in which cooperative endeavours should take place.
Additionally, the survey explored experts’ views regarding the fundamental principles that should form the foundation of the EU’s initiatives to strengthen global regulation of military AI. When asked to express the key words or phrases that come to mind when envisioning these foundational principles, ‘human control’ emerged with 38 mentions, followed by ‘transparency’ with 21 mentions, and ‘accountability’ with 20 mentions. Notably, both human rights and international humanitarian law received over 10 mentions.
The description and data first appeared at a working paper published by the Finnish Institute of International Affairs. Full citation:
Creutz, K., Javadi, M., Onderco, M. & Sinkkonen, V. “The EU and Military AI Governance: Forging Value-Based Coalitions in an Age of Strategic Competition”, FIIA Working Paper, February 2024. https://www.fiia.fi/en/publication/the-eu-and-military-ai-governance
