China security forum sounds alarm over AI’s impact on global stability

Delegates at China’s flagship defence and security conference this week warned that unchecked artificial intelligence development and technological rivalries could further increase risks in an already volatile global security environment.

The warnings came as China and the United States, the world’s two leading AI powers, prepare for bilateral summit talks this month while remaining divided over how the technology should be controlled when used in military systems, including nuclear weapons.

Participants at the three-day Beijing Xiangshan Forum, which ended on Thursday, September 17, said AI was compressing the time available for governments and militaries to make critical decisions, while misinformation and disinformation could undermine public trust before authorities had time to respond.

“Today, the world is at a critical turning point. Strategic competition among major powers is becoming more pronounced, conflicts in many regions continue,” Thailand’s Defence Minister Adul Boonthumjaroen said.

As AI and other technologies transform warfare, “the most pressing is not who will be the most powerful, but rather, how can we build an international order,” he said.

Adul was among about 2,000 military officers, diplomats and academics from 100 countries attending the forum. Delegates included regional defence officials, a North Korean representative, a senior Pentagon official, Russian academics and representatives of the Taliban.

“As weapon systems become increasingly autonomous, the need to preserve human judgment and control over the use of force becomes more pressing,” said Jurg Lauber, vice-president of the International Committee of the Red Cross, while also highlighting some of the benefits of AI.

Lauber said the growing use of low-cost drones was changing the nature of warfare by stretching and blurring front lines across vast distances.

Pakistan’s Defence Secretary Muhammad Ali said technological advances were “compressing the strategic timeline.”

“Artificial Intelligence accelerates decisions while disinformation and misinformation can fracture public trust before governments are even able to respond effectively,” he said.

Representatives from Bangladesh, Malaysia and Laos also voiced concerns about the impact of AI.

The forum took place as China and the United States — the two major drivers of cutting-edge AI development and its global adoption — acknowledge the technology’s potential risks but remain divided over how it should be controlled.

Beijing and Washington have clashed over AI policies and industry practices, while security experts in both countries have called for guardrails and greater consensus on the use of AI in military systems, including nuclear weapons.

By Tamilla Hasanova