Guardian

The rapid expansion of AI technology is making the threat of an all-out nuclear war more likely, UN secretary general, António Guterres, warned. In a recorded video, Guterres said humanity is sitting “on a knife’s edge” as nations race to build the most capable arms, putting lives in danger.
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The UN chief’s cautionary video message was due to be played at the U.S. Arms Control Association (ACA) annual conference in Washington on June 7, the Guardian reports. Guterres pleaded with nuclear weapons states to “resume dialogue and agree that none will be the first to launch one.”
<h2 id="guterres-wants-ai-away-from-nuclear-weapons">Guterres wants AI away from nuclear weapons</h2>
According to the secretary general, the systems built to prevent the “use, testing and proliferation of nuclear weapons” have weakened since the end of the cold war more than 30 years ago.
There are fears that as nations like the U.S. and Russia ramp up action to deter each other, they could turn to <a href="https://www.cryptopolitan.com/ai-investors-nuclear-power-uranium-stocks/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">AI</a> to ease nuclear launch procedures. Both countries reportedly have their intercontinental ballistic missiles on high alert, meaning they are ready to launch at a few minutes’ warning.
In his video address to the ACA, Guterres <a href="https://youtu.be/KCdcMg1XMl8" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">said</a>:
<blockquote>
 “Humanity is on a knife’s edge; the risk of a nuclear weapon being used has reached heights not seen since the cold war. States are engaged in a qualitative arms race. Technologies like artificial intelligence are multiplying the danger.”
</blockquote>
Guterres added that “all countries must agree that any decision on nuclear use is made by humans, not machines or algorithms.”
<iframe title="Remarks from UN Secretary-General António Guterres to the 2024 ACA Annual Meeting" width="800" height="450" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/KCdcMg1XMl8?feature=oembed" frameborder="0" allow="accelerometer; autoplay; clipboard-write; encrypted-media; gyroscope; picture-in-picture; web-share" referrerpolicy="strict-origin-when-cross-origin" allowfullscreen></iframe>
In 2022, the U.S., UK and France issued a <a href="https://www.un.org/sites/un2.un.org/files/npt_conf.2020_e_wp.70.pdf" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">joint statement</a> expressing their commitment to ensuring that humans remained in control during nuclear launches. Russia and China have not made a similar commitment yet, <a href="https://www.theguardian.com/world/article/2024/jun/07/ai-nuclear-war-threat-un-secretary-general" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">according</a> to industry media. The Federation of American Scientists <a href="https://fas.org/initiative/status-world-nuclear-forces/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">estimates</a> that the number of nuclear arms dropped from 70,300 in 1986 to 12,100 this year.
<h2 id="scientists-raise-ai-alarm">Scientists raise AI alarm</h2>
Guterres’ warning is not new. Many scientists have <a href="https://www.cryptopolitan.com/ai-debate-intensifies-leading-experts-share/" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow">cautioned</a> about the dangers of artificial intelligence in the past. A 2018 <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2018/04/25/ai-could-lead-to-a-nuclear-war-by-2040-rand-corporation-warns.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">report</a> by the Rand Corporation said the development of AI increases the risk of nuclear war. The report said that the integration of AI, machine learning, and big-data analytics will improve the ability of militaries to locate, track, target, and destroy a rival’s nuclear-deterrent forces.
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Others have also waded into the debate. For former Google product lead Bilawal Sidhu, the AI debate can either be treated like nuclear or it can be left open. He <a href="https://twitter.com/bilawalsidhu/status/1642290840184979456?t=uALDdaZezfjFNQoW8Xo1sA&amp;s=19" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">argued</a> that an open-source AI would allow good actors to police the bad ones, minimizing risks.
In a previous&nbsp;<a href="https://www.newsweek.com/2021/11/12/henry-kissinger-says-ai-consequential-less-predictable-nuclear-weapons-1644508.html" rel="noopener noreferrer nofollow" target="_blank">interview</a>&nbsp;with Newsweek, former U.S. Secretary of State Henry Kissinger said AI is “as consequential” but “less predictable” than nuclear weapons. Kissinger believes that the risks of AI can be managed through international cooperation and regulation.
Cryptopolitan reporting by Jeffery Gogo

UN chief warns AI could increase likelihood of nuclear wars

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