Closing Remarks by H.E. Cho Tae-yul
Minister of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Korea
REAIM Summit 2024
September 10, 2024, Seoul
Excellencies, Distinguished Guests, Ladies and gentlemen,
As we come to the conclusion of the 2nd REAIM Summit, I wish to express my deepest gratitude to all of you for your commitment, engagement, and thoughtful contributions during the last two days.
Over the three plenary sessions, 47 break-out sessions and one Ministerial roundtable, our discussions revealed a reality defying easy solutions, requiring a nuanced and comprehensive understanding of the role that AI plays in the military domain today.
As we have seen, AI can pose various risks such as unintended escalation during conflict, failures resulting from algorithmic or systemic bias, and potentially devastating misalignment with human intent.
At the same time, AI can enhance operational precision, minimize harm to civilians, and even contribute to more efficient peacekeeping operations.
This duality--AI as both an enabler of security and a potential disruptor--underscores the complexity of building the normative and institutional frameworks for governing AI in the military domain.
Yet, the undeniable truth remains: it is not the technology, but our will and choices that will determine the future. We are responsible for our future.
I am, thus, proud to present the Blueprint for Action, which represents our collective answer to the Call to Action adopted at the first REAIM last year. With the unequivocal support of more than 60 countries, Blueprint for Action is a joint achievement, a testament to our collaboration and a guiding framework for our future actions. It also represents the combined wisdom of governments, academia, industry and civil society from around the world.
But, this is just the beginning. The Blueprint is our foundation, and we must now build upon it.
Our focus will be on translating principles into concrete actions and developing measures for implementation, while keeping pace with the speed of technological advancement.
I’m also pleased that the REAIM Global Commission will return next year with their recommendations, which will further enlighten our way forward.
Our collective wisdom from all stakeholders will be the key to success in the long quest of responsible AI in the military domain.
What we build with this Blueprint will be dependent on the level of our commitment.
With the endorsement of the Blueprint for Action, I now close the REAIM Summit 2024. Thank you so much for your active participation and support . /END/