ISLAMABAD: Foreign Secretary Amna Baloch inaugurated the Regional Consultations on Responsible AI in the Military Domain in Islamabad on Tuesday, highlighting the pressing need for updated legal and political frameworks to manage the rapid integration of artificial intelligence in warfare.

In her opening address, Baloch emphasized the transformative impact of military AI on modern warfare, pointing out the current gap in legal and political structures necessary to govern this technology. She noted that this shift is occurring amid a fragile international backdrop, which is lowering the threshold for the use of force.

Baloch drew attention to the South Asian context, where autonomous weapon capabilities have been deployed in a nuclear environment, reducing the decision-making time during crises. This, she suggested, underscores the urgency for global governance to remain centered within the United Nations framework, with the REAIM initiative serving as a valuable complement.

The Foreign Secretary stressed the importance of capacity-building and regional dialogue for developing states to ensure inclusive rule-making. She asserted that innovation in AI should be guided by clear principles, with human control and judgment remaining essential.

The two-day Regional Consultations are being attended by representatives from seventeen states across West, Central, and South Asia. The event is held in partnership with the Republic of Korea, the Netherlands, and Spain, reflecting a collaborative effort to address the challenges posed by AI in the military domain.