Kenya through Defence Cabinet Secretary Soipan Tuya has endorsed an agreement alongside 60 other nations including the US, UK and Ukraine that seeks to scale up the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in military operations.
The endorsement was made in South Korea at a conference held between September 9 and September 10 co-hosted by Kenya, Korea, the United Kingdom, Netherlands, and Singapore.
The REAIM (Responsible AI in the Military Domain) Summit is the most comprehensive and inclusive platform for discussions regarding the potential benefits of using AI in defence operations.
Interestingly, Russia was not invited to the summit for a second year in a row due to its invasion of Ukraine which has rendered the country a pariah at significant international conferences. China, on the other hand, gave the event a wide berth over reservations on the role of AI in defence.
CS Tuya flanked by Defence ministers from other nations.
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REAIM
In a diplomatic dig at Moscow and Beijing, Dutch Defense Minister Ruben Brekelmans stated, “We also need to be realistic that we will never have the whole world on board.”, adding that this dilemma must be part of further discussions.
With the rapid advancement and progress in AI, there is a growing interest by states to leverage Al technology in military operations. At the same time, AI applications in the military domain could be linked to a range of challenges and risks from humanitarian, legal, security, technological, societal, or ethical perspectives that need to be identified, assessed, and addressed.
The war in Ukraine where technological advances have been deployed extensively was a major discussion point at the conference.
AI in Kenyan Military
In June 2024, Kenya hosted the Inaugural African Regional Responsible use of Artificial Intelligence in Military (REAIM) workshop held in Nairobi. The purpose of the forum was to provide a platform for open discussion, knowledge sharing and deepening regional understanding of Artificial Intelligence (AI).
At the Conference, Chief of Defence Forces General Charles Kahariri highlighted the importance of knowing the profound impact that AI is having and its transformative power in technology, enhancing capabilities, improving decision-making processes and ensuring the security and sovereignty of the nation.
“Developing a comprehensive regulatory framework that governs the use of AI in military operations is essential. Building local capabilities to develop, deploy and regulate AI is crucial. These frameworks should address issues such as data privacy, security and ethical use. Policymakers must work closely with technologies, ethicists and military experts to create policies that balance innovation with responsibility,” he said.
On the same day, National Defence University (NDU-K) Deputy Vice-Chancellor (DVC) Research, Innovation and Security Studies, Major General William Shume reiterated NDU-K’s mandate which is to offer advanced educational training, research, academic discourse, as well as equipping security personnel and agencies with knowledge and skills to offer solutions to contemporary security challenges.
“NDU-K is committed to promoting responsible use of emerging technologies, including the use of AI in the security domain,” the DVC said.
The agreement from South Korea acknowledges that AI applications in the military domain can offer advantages such as enhanced situational awareness, improved precision, accuracy, and efficiency, which can support the effective implementation of international humanitarian law and aid in safeguarding civilians and civilian objects during armed conflicts.
Beyond the physical battlefield, AI has many more uses in the Defence strategy of a country. In Kenya, Cyber Security has been a pressing issue as the nation expands its digital footprint. AI systems detect and respond to cyber threats more swiftly by identifying patterns and anomalies in network traffic, thus protecting military communications and data from cyberattacks.
CS Tuya joined the call by global Defence ministers stressing the importance of preventing AI technologies from facilitating the spread of weapons of mass destruction (WMDs) by both state and non-state actors, including terrorist groups.
Kenya committed to strengthening international cooperation on capacity-building aimed at reducing the knowledge gap on responsible development, deployment, and use of AI in the military domain.
Multinational Officials at the Conference in South Korea
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REAIM
