AI, cyber capabilities threaten to destabilise global security order: experts

ISLAMABAD: International experts on emerging technologies have warned that proliferation of emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence (AI), cyber capabilities, and autonomous systems threaten to destabilise the global security order.

Addressing a two-day international conference titled “Nuclear Deterrence in the Age of Emerging Technologies,” on Tuesday here, the experts articulated their views on the first day of the moot that would continue today (Wednesday).

Sixteen international experts from Australia, Canada, China, Russia, Switzerland, the United Kingdom and the United States will examine the strategic implications of rapid technological advancements.

Pakistani experts underscored the national commitment to addressing risks posed by emerging technologies to international security and regional stability through dialogue and cooperation with global stakeholders.

The resolve was expressed during the opening of the two-day international conference organised by the Center for International Strategic Studies (CISS), Islamabad.

Ambassador Ali Sarwar Naqvi, Executive Director of CISS, while introducing the conference, warned that the proliferation of emerging technologies threatens to destabilise the global security order.

“These technologies, particularly when integrated into military systems, risk eroding the delicate balance that has prevented nuclear conflict for decades,” Naqvi said.

Ali Sarwar Naqvi noted that increasing reliance on unmanned vehicles and AI-enhanced surveillance introduces a host of ethical, legal and humanitarian challenges. “Emerging technologies are not only transforming conflict at the tactical level, but also eroding present deterrence frameworks,” Naqvi said.

The ambassador emphasised the urgent need for global consensus on regulatory mechanisms before the integration of these technologies into military doctrines. “Without agreed frameworks, their incorporation could pose serious risks to crisis stability and undermine arms control efforts,” he cautioned.

Speakers on the first day of the conference included Dr. Han Hua from Peking University; Dr. Xia Liping of the Center for Polar and Oceanic Studies, China; Dr. Naeem Salik of the Strategic Vision Institute, Islamabad; Anton Khlopkov of Russia’s Center for Energy and Security Studies; Dmitry Stefanovich from the Russian Academy of Sciences; Dr. Alexander Evans OBE of the London School of Economics; Dr. Petr Topychkanov of Lomonosov Moscow State University; Alice Saltini of the European Leadership Network; Dr. Jean-Marc Rickli of the Geneva Center for Security Policy; Dr. Zafar Khan of the Baluchistan Think Tank Network; Dr. Robert B. Hayes of North Carolina State University; and Dr. Tariq Rauf from Austria.

The conference’s further sessions exploring the intersection of strategic stability and emerging technologies would continue.