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Written question asked by Lord Clement-Jones (Liberal Democrat) on Tuesday, 18 January 2022, in the House of Lords. It was due for an answer on Tuesday, 1 February 2022. It was answered by Baroness Goldie (Conservative) on Thursday, 27 January 2022 on behalf of the Ministry of Defence.

Defence: Innovation and Technology

Question

To ask Her Majesty's Government how they seek to reconcile a focus on tackling the proliferation of advanced military technologies with prioritising the development and integration of new technologies “required for near-peer, high-tech warfighting”, such as “AI-enabled autonomous capabilities” as identified in the Ministry of Defence’s Defence in a Competitive Age paper, published in March 2021.

Answer

The Ministry of Defence is committed to developing and deploying AI-enabled systems responsibly and promoting responsible use worldwide.

The UK will work with allies and partners to address the issue of proliferation of advanced military technologies such as AI-enabled autonomous capabilities. This will include reinforcement of the disarmament and export control regimes, treaties and organisations; development of the means of preventing AI proliferation or misuse; and monitoring the risks of AI exacerbating existing counter-proliferation and arms control challenges. This will ensure that the opportunities gained from the development and integration of new technologies are balanced with appropriate controls.

Secondary information

Type
Written question
Reference
HL5481
Session
2021-22
Related items
Defence in a competitive age
Monday, 22 March 2021
Command papers
House of Lords
House of Commons
Subjects
Defence Innovation Technology Autonomous weapons
Link
View this Written question on www.parliament.uk