Ethical and strategic challenges of AI weapons: A call for global action

About a decade ago, theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking expressed extreme concern about the development of artificial intelligence (AI), stating that "the development of full artificial intelligence could spell the end of the human race. Concurrently, in 2014, entrepreneur Elon Musk expressed similar cautionary sentiments, suggesting that AI might surpass nuclear weapons in terms of danger. Despite these warnings, the prevailing sentiment at the time was largely skeptical. However, only a few years later, on May 30, 2023, hundreds of artificial intelligence experts and other notable figures issued a 22-word statement[1] warning against the With the reports of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, the world has witnessed a new form of warfare, one where AIpowered weapons are used in real wars. Drones possibly guided by artificial intelligence have penetrated over 1000 km into Russian territory, disrupting oil and gas infrastructure[2]. These weapons can make decisions to cause explosions without human intervention. Therefore, the impact of AI-enabled applications in warfare is a critical topic that needs the most attention and discussion.