Edinburgh Law School and UK FCDO convene Expert Group of the GC REAIM

Over 2 days in March, Edinburgh Law School, supported by the UK’s Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office (FCDO) brought together over 20 global experts in Responsible AI in the military domain appointed to the Global Commission for Responsible Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain (GC REAIM).

GC REAIM was created by the Kingdom of the Netherlands in March 2024, and is chaired by Former South Korean Foreign Minister Byung-se Yun. GC REAIM is composed of 18 Commissioners, who are global thought leaders from a range of disciplines, including international law, computer science, ethics and strategic studies. The Commissioners are mandated to develop a strategic guidance report on how to advance the responsible use of AI in the military domain. The report is expected to be delivered at the next global summit for responsible military AI, to be held in Spain in 2025 and likely to be attended by over 100 state delegations.

Edinburgh’s Chair of International Law, Professor Nehal Bhuta, is one three international lawyers appointed as a Commissioner on GC REAIM.

A vital source of insight for the Commissioners are the 31 experts appointed to support it work. The experts are drawn from a wide range of regions, disciplines and domains, and represent a true cross-section of the global expert community in military AI. 

Professor Bhuta worked closely with the FCDO and the GC REAIM Secretariat to convene the GC REAIM Expert Workshop in March. Held at the Edinburgh Futures Institute, the Workshop – which was also attended by observers from the UN and ICRC, discussed draft texts of twenty Policy Notes written by the members of the Expert Group. These policy notes will serve as inputs for GC REAIM’s final strategic guidance report as well as standalone publications for the global expert community working around the integration of AI in the military domain.

Key themes explored during the workshop included:

• The risk of automation bias in high-stakes military decisions, and the challenge of ensuring meaningful human control
• How AI-enabled targeting and decision-support systems could accelerate conflict escalation, particularly in crisis scenarios
• The growing role of autonomous and adaptive systems, and the regulatory gaps in governing their deployment
• The importance of norm-building and internationals cooperation to mitigate risks and enhance accountability

Professor Bhuta said: “It was an honour to be able to convene this workshop in Edinburgh, at the very fitting venue of the Edinburgh Futures Institute.  Thanks to the support of the FCDO, we were able to benefit from the insight of almost 2 dozen leading experts in responsible military AI. The discussions and the Experts’ Policy Notes will have a lasting impact on the REAIM Commission Report, and on the future of the global governance of military AI.”

Learn more about the GC REAIM

GC REAIM website