The Permanent Missions of Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Luxembourg, Mexico and Panama and UNIDIR invite you to an interactive, in-person side event to discuss how to tackle the problem of biases, especially on the basis of gender and race, in military application of artificial intelligence (AI) such as Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS).
As discussions of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on LAWS have previously highlighted, biases in AI and LAWS can stem from datasets and the algorithmic processing of this data. The implications of such biases are profound, potentially leading to mistargeting in military operations and unpredictability in system behavior, resulting in non-compliance with international humanitarian law and other relevant norms. However, concrete suggestions to resolve or at least mitigate these biases are still under-studied and under-discussed, especially vis-a-vis challenges in the context of military applications of AI.
This side event will bring together experts and practitioners to discuss options for addressing inequalities and ensuring that military AI does not introduce, perpetuate or amplify gender and racial biases. Panellists will also suggest ideas to incorporate these considerations into the discussions at the GGE on LAWS.
The event will build on previous discussions, as well as on the working paper Addressing Bias in Autonomous Weapons, submitted to the GGE on LAWS in March 2024 by a group of 10 States.
The event will also mark the launch of UNIDIR’s new Factsheet on Gender and LAWS, with data and analysis related to gender considerations in LAWS.
When and Where
Wednesday, 28 August 2024, from 13:15 to 14:45, Room XXIII, Palais des Nations, Geneva.
*A light lunch will be served outside the room at 13:00.
Speakers
- Brian McElduff, Director, Disarmament and Non-Proliferation, Ireland
- Dongyoun Cho, Senior Researcher, UNIDIR [download presentation]
- Laura Bruun, Researcher, Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI)
- Laure Jaffrey, Human Rights Officer, Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR)
- Brigadier General Ng Pak Shun, Group Chief, Policy & Strategy and Plans & Transformation, Ministry of Defence, Singapore
The event will be moderated by Shimona Mohan, Associate Researcher, UNIDIR.