The US and China declined to sign a declaration on the military use of artificial intelligence at a global summit in Spain, highlighting persistent divisions over how rapidly advancing military AI should be governed.
Spain hosted the Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM) “Pathways to Action” summit earlier this month, bringing together representatives from 85 countries.
The meeting produced a non-binding declaration outlining principles for responsible military AI use, as governments grow increasingly concerned that advances in autonomy risk outpacing existing policies.
The declaration seeks to reduce the risk of accidents, miscalculations, or unintended escalation, particularly where AI-enabled systems could make life-and-death decisions without meaningful human involvement.
Despite its voluntary nature, several countries were reluctant to endorse language that could later translate into firmer obligations, said Yasmin Afina, a researcher at the UN Institute for Disarmament Research.
Only 35 of 85 participating countries signed the declaration, including Canada, the United Kingdom, South Korea, Ukraine, Germany, France, and the Netherlands, according to Reuters.
“Russia and China are moving very fast,” said Dutch Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans. “That creates urgency to make progress in developing AI. But seeing it going fast also increases the urgency to keep working on its responsible use. The two go hand-in-hand.”
Deep Divides
The split reflects long-standing differences among major powers over military AI and autonomous systems, according to Human Rights Watch.
Washington argues that existing international humanitarian law already governs military AI and has resisted new binding agreements, favoring voluntary principles and national policies instead.
Beijing, meanwhile, has expressed support for banning the use of fully autonomous weapons, but not their development or production — preserving room to continue advancing AI-enabled military capabilities.
The Spain summit followed earlier REAIM meetings in The Hague in 2023 and Seoul in 2024, which produced similar non-binding calls for responsible military AI use.
