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| Dutch Foreign Minister Wopke Hoekstra, left, and Foreign Minister Park Jin at the Summit on Responsible AI in the Military Domain in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday (local time). Courtesy of Ministry of Foreign Affairs |
Korea to host second REAIM meeting next year
By Kang Seung-woo
Foreign Minister Park Jin has called for the international community to be responsible in the military use of artificial intelligence (AI).
His comment was made at the Summit on Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM 2023) in The Hague, Netherlands, Thursday (local time).
"Over the past two days, we had productive discussions with experts from diverse backgrounds on the opportunities and challenges presented by AI. With the wisdom gained from the conference, we should proceed and act to prevent wrong uses of AI in the military domain," Park said during the summit's closing ceremony.
Korea and the Netherlands were the co-hosts of the meeting regarding the responsible use of AI in defense contexts. The two-day event brought together 80 government delegations and hundreds of researchers and defense contractors.
The summit was held as part of measures to implement the accord signed by President Yoon Suk Yeol and Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte during their summit talks in Seoul last November.
"As a leading Asian nation in AI development, the Republic of Korea (ROK) recognizes the significance of pursuing meaningful dialogue on this topic. This also aligns with the Yoon Suk-yeol government's priority to establish a digital order that promotes freedom, solidarity and human rights," Park said. The Republic of Korea refers to Korea's official name.
"This is all the more important, especially for Korea, which is facing a real threat from North Korea in terms of escalating weapons of mass destruction program, including nuclear and missile threats."
Dutch Ambassador to Korea Joanne Doornewaard said the REAIM 2023 set a good example of how smaller and medium-sized countries like Korea and the Netherlands can initiate international discussion on challenges of the future.
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| Foreign Minister Park Jin, left, and Dutch Ambassador to Korea Joanne Doornewaard / Courtesy of Embassy of the Netherlands in Korea |
"This topic feels like something that does not affect our daily lives, this particular brand of cooperation between the Netherlands and the Republic of Korea has gone somewhat under the radar," the Dutch ambassador also said.
Through the event, 60 countries signed a commitment to the ethical use of AI by coming up with a "call to action."
"The REAIM Summit marks a significant step in raising global awareness about these potential risks and the importance of developing and using AI responsibly," Park said.
"I have the feeling that all of us agree that the impact of AI on our lives is so significant that no country is free from the current challenges that we face."
Also, the foreign minister said Korea will host next year's REAIM summit as the country is committed to securing political attention to the issue and promoting international discussions.
"Korea is proud to announce that it will host the 2nd REAIM Summit in Korea in cooperation with the Netherlands," Park said.
He also said the country will build on its experience hosting the Conference on Cyberspace in 2013 and the Nuclear Security Summit in 2012, which it organized together with the Netherlands and the United States.
"To this end, we plan to delve into the implications of AI on global peace and security at the annual World Emerging Security Forum hosted by Korea later this year," he said.
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