Expert urges global rules for military AI before battlefield deployment at Beijing forum

During the AI & Future Warfare session of the Beijing Xiangshan Forum, Sujan R Chinoy, director general of the Manohar Parrikar Institute for Defence Studies and Analyses, argued that artificial intelligence is fundamentally altering modern combat, compressing decision times and creating new vulnerabilities, and therefore international norms must be established at the research and defence-planning stages. He urged that such standards be adopted before AI-enabled weapons reach the battlefield.

Chinese Defence Minister Dong Jun opened the forum by calling for joint efforts to address shared security challenges and pledged the Chinese military’s contribution to global fairness and stability. The two-day event, organized by the China Association for Military Science and the China Institute for International Strategic Studies, attracted nearly 2,000 officials, scholars and observers from more than 100 countries.

Chinoy also highlighted the need to universalise the United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea, noting that key players such as Iran and the United States have not ratified it, affecting the Strait of Hormuz and global energy security. He described the forum as a valuable platform that has facilitated dialogue for two decades.