Canada plans to use AI in military, but minister says it won’t replace humans

Blair made the remarks at a summit in Seoul, South Korea where Canada was among 61 countries that endorsed a new document on responsible military use of AI.

Defence Minister Bill Blair says Canada is working on incorporating artificial intelligence in its military, but the technology won’t replace humans.

Blair made the remarks at a summit in Seoul, South Korea where Canada was among 61 countries that endorsed a new document on responsible military use of AI.

Canada is working on making the Canadian Armed Forces an “AI-enabled” organization by 2030 under a strategy launched earlier this year, Blair said.

He said it’s “critical that we harness this technology both effectively and ethically,” according to a copy of his remarks at the Responsible AI in the Military Domain summit.

That includes using AI to “improve the work of our military personnel but not to replace it,” Blair said.

“That is why we have committed to ensuring that humans will always remain at the forefront of significant decisions with appropriate accountability mechanisms remaining in place.”

He added the strategy also emphasizes working with allies to “ensure that AI technologies are not only developed efficiently but also effectively integrated and managed.”

The strategy document says Canada’s allies are moving fast to adopt AI, and warns Canada must move to keep pace — noting the technology is also becoming more accessible to potential adversaries.