Six quotes from Global Nobel Laureates Assembly on how to address AI and warfare.
Global leaders in academia and innovation are imploring the world to consider how to address what they call the “next arms race" -- nuclear warfare supported by artificial intelligence.
More than 200 participants at the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly that took place this month at Borgo Laudato Si’ at Castel Gandolfo affirmed the Assembly's final document: “Rome Declaration: Humanity at the Threshold: A Declaration on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear Weapons.”
Participants included 30 Nobel Laureates and Nobel-laureate organizations, Emeritus Heads of State and Government, 30 universities and research institutions and 20 top AI leaders -- including from OpenAI, Google DeepMind, AARU and Anthropic.
“Never before,” the statement asserts, “has scientific progress offered such extraordinary opportunities while simultaneously creating such profound risks to our common future.”
Profound risks, the current global situation
“Humanity stands at a defining moment in history,” the declaration states, at a time when the advancement of AI is contributing to the nuclear arms race.
This particular moment in time presents a number of unprecedented challenges due to the increasing prevalence of AI. These include the attempt to replace human judgment with AI in warfare; the rise of cyber attacks as well as information warfare; and power imbalances caused by corporations and countries better equipped with the latest AI technology.
The declaration affirms Pope Leo XIV’s repeated call for "unarmed and disarming peace,” stating, “We reject the belief that lasting security can be built on fear, domination, or the permanent threat of mutual destruction. Security cannot rest indefinitely upon the reality of mutual destruction.”
Understanding the incredible responsibility shared among nations and peoples in the current arms races, the Assembly adopted six principles (worth reading in their entirety here).
Six principles in the face of the rise of AI warfare
1. Disarming the next arms race
“We must disarm the next arms race, both AI and nuclear, before they define the next century as well.” The Assembly calls on researchers, developers, government and the international community to reduce AI risks “while the choice remains ours.”
2. Responsible development
“AI should be developed and monitored to be in alignment with humanity’s interests, including international law and respect for human rights.” In addition, the statement says, developers should publish guiding principles for their models and be held accountable to them. Fully-automated AI that isn’t able to be monitored or halted should never be permitted.
3. Responsible use of AI
“An automated system should never make the final decision to launch a nuclear weapon.” Humans must always maintain in ultimate control of weapons. Responsible use of AI can also look like scientific and medical progress, protecting the environment, and promoting peace.
4. Responsible governance
“We call on governments, corporations, and international organizations to enable coordinated slowdown of frontier AI development by establishing shared mechanisms, such as verification and robust internal and external evaluations.” They also support dialogue, research, and other shared efforts in the spirit of Pope Leo’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.
5. Responsible leadership
“Young people must be empowered to engage with nuclear, AI, and other potentially catastrophic threats, through education, mentorship, intergenerational partnership, and inclusive participation across all regions, cultures, and communities.” The Declaration reflects awareness that the next generation will also need to contend with the monumental challenge of AI and nuclear weapons.
6. Nuclear disarmament
“We call for urgent, sustained, and good-faith negotiations leading, within an agreed and time-bound framework, to the verifiable and irreversible elimination of nuclear weapons.” The Assembly outlines a number of ways to move away from nuclear escalation and towards peace.
The Assembly’s website follows the Declaration with a quote from the Russell-Einstein Manifesto, written in 1955 as a response to the rise of weapons of mass destruction. Albert Einstein is among the signers. “We appeal as human beings to human beings: remember your humanity, and forget the rest.”
