International Conference of Eminent Persons Closes, Consensus Reached: “People Should be Involved” in Nuclear Weapons Management

The Yomiuri Shimbun

13:32 JST, May 23, 2024

The fourth meeting of the International Group of Eminent Persons for a World without Nuclear Weapons, an organization of experts from various countries who discuss nuclear disarmament, closed on Wednesday. The two-day conference, which was held in Yokohama, reached the consensus that it is risky for artificial intelligence (AI) to be involved in the operation and management of nuclear weapons and that human involvement in decision-making is important.

The meeting’s chair, Honorable Emeritus Professor Takashi Shiraishi of the Prefectural University of Kumamoto, said at a press conference after the meeting concluded that “it will be important to develop cooperation and multilayered dialogue between nuclear powers, non-nuclear powers, and the private sector” in order to discuss the appropriate approach to AI and nuclear weapons.

The group will continue to conduct meetings until next spring and intends to compile recommendations on the impact of AI on nuclear disarmament and other issues for the 2026 NPT (Treaty on the Non-Proliferation of Nuclear Weapons) Review Conference.

After the meeting was concluded, the members reported the details of their discussions to Prime Minister Fumio Kishida at his office. “I hope we will be able to work together to plan out a roadmap toward the ideal of a world without nuclear weapons,” the prime minister said.