Framework of Responsible Industry Behaviour for AI in the Military Domain

The proposed Framework of Responsible Industry Behaviour for AI in the Military Domain provides a practical and actionable set of voluntary guidelines designed specifically for industry actors in the field of artificial intelligence in the military domain.

To learn more about contributing to the development of the framework, contact sectec-unidir@un.org.

Industry plays an increasingly decisive role in shaping AI-enabled military capabilities, from system design choices, data practices and testing to post-deployment maintenance and support. These decisions can materially affect reliability, predictability, accountability and the risk of harm in real-world settings.

As the governance of AI in the military domain gathers pace, collaboration with the private sector is becoming ever more critical to translate its agreed underpinning principles into their implementation and operationalization.

To support States, industry and the wider international community, UNIDIR – in partnership with OHCHR – has launched a programme of work dedicated to developing a Framework of Responsible Industry Behaviour for AI in the Military Domain.

The framework aims to create a common baseline, providing industry with coherent, credible guidelines for responsible behaviour and giving governments and other stakeholders clarity on what responsible AI procurement and public-private partnership should look like.

The framework will be a set of voluntary principles and practical guidelines that together clarify what we mean by responsible industry conduct. By establishing shared expectations and language, the framework will foster greater trust, accountability and predictability in the development, deployment and use of AI in military contexts.

Designed to serve as a collaborative programme of work, the framework’s development rests on an inclusive, cross-regional multistakeholder co-development process. The fact that this process will see governments, regional organizations, international institutions, civil society, academia and industry all working together will help to ensure legitimacy, relevance and broad support.

Though grounded firmly in international law and norms, the framework will recognize and engage with emerging principles. It will also build on the progress made by ongoing initiatives and processes, including the Roundtable for AI, Security and Ethics (RAISE), the UN First Committee, the Responsible AI in the Military Domain initiative (REAIM), the UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights, and the OHCHR B-Tech Project.

Collaborators and contributors

The development of the framework is a collaborative effort, with contributors including Microsoft, Hitachi America, Ltd and the Japan Defense Technology Foundation.

*Please note that some collaborators and contributors have chosen not to be publicly listed. Their contributions are nonetheless greatly appreciated.

Contributing to the development and formulation of the framework neither implies any endorsement nor entails any binding commitments. But industry participation in the development process will be critical to the framework’s ultimate utility and effectiveness.

Partners

Interested in contributing to or supporting the framework?

We are always on the lookout for new collaborators to support the development of the framework. Please contact sectec-unidir@un.org with any thoughts, contributions or potential support that you would like to discuss.