NATO and Artificial Intelligence: innovation, responsibility and future challenges

Translation by Alessandra Fumagalli 

Since its creation, NATO trusts technological innovation as a key way to guarantee Alliances’ global security, developing targeted strategies, able to face the challenges given by emerging and destructive technologies of the hypothetical rivals. Initiatives like Defence Innovation Accelerator for the North Atlantic (DIANA) and NATO Innovation Fund, a global fund of 1 billion euros testify the Alliance’s engagement in a strong collaboration among international partners, like the European Union and the United Nations. 

New technologies, on one hand, strengthen the efficacy, resilience and interoperability of NATO’s bodies; on the other hand, if used by hostile or non-state bodies can be a serious threat. 2022 Strategic Concept recognizes their crucial role, highlighting how they are defining the conflicts and how essential is preserving the military advantage of the Alliance. In order to face these challenges, NATO has to integrate the emerging technologies in a strategic way, reinforce the cooperation with the private sector, to safeguard the technological ecosystems, and define the ethics standard for a responsible use, taking into account and respecting human rights. 

Emerging technologies: NATO’s strategy

In February, 2021, NATO adopted the "Foster and Protect: NATO’s Coherent Implementation Strategy on Emerging and Disruptive Technologies" strategy, which is a plan aiming at promoting the adoption of dual-use technologies, which can be used in the commercial and military sector, and protecting the innovation’s ecosystems by rivals. Among the emerging technologies, Artificial Intelligence, autonomous systems, quantistic technologies, biotechnology, space, hypersonic systems, new materials and productive processes, energy and propulsion, and latest generation communication networks are important. For each sector, NATO is developing specific plans to guarantee the integration and the strategic use. 

Artificial Intelligence: a strategic resource for NATO between Innovation and Responsibility

Artificial Intelligence, in particular the generative one, is emerging as a technology able to create complex texts, computer codes, images, and audio extremely realistic, which are often indistinguishable from the human-made products. NATO’s strategy, updated in July 2024, aims at promoting a responsible use of AI in the security sector, improving the interoperability of the Allies, identifying threats linked with the enemies and monitoring the internal technologies to manage the risks. AI represents an essential instrument to elaborate and exchange data in an efficient way among Member States. In order to reach these goals, it is fundamental to have specialized laboratories, sandbox, dedicated structures, in order to guarantee a use pursuant to the international standards and ethical principles. AI strategy defines six main principles:

• Lawfulness: AI development must pursue national and international law and safeguard human rights.
• Responsibility and Accountability: the use must be subjected to a strong sense of judgment and responsibility. 
• Explainability and Traceability: the norms must be transparent and subjected to verification systems.
• Reliability: AI use cases must be clearly defined. 
• Governability: AI must be manageable and used for specific goals, beyond these cases, in case of wrong behavior, disengagement and deactivation systems must intervene.  
• Bias Mitigation: implementation of efficient measures to prevent and correct hypothetical accidental distortions, both in the development phase and in the application of the AI. 

Future challenges

In conclusion, NATO has to face difficult challenges, linked with the Artificial Intelligence integration in its structures and operations. It will be fundamental to invest in requalification programs and advanced education, in order to adapt the military and force to the technologies changes, beyond promoting the integration of technical experts in the operations. Moreover, it will be necessary to develop strategies to face threats, such as disinformation, manipulation and gender violence, which can erase the social cohesion and discourage the institutions. 

Moreover, NATO will have to face issues about the large amount of data for training AI models and the energy consumption of the technologies. The success of this action will not only require technical solutions and innovative governance, but also a balanced approach which enhances the opportunities offered by the dual-use solutions. Only through a proactive and coordinated action, the Alliance will maintain its relevance and responsiveness in a strategic context, characterized by AI. 

Mondo Internazionale APS - Riproduzione Riservata ® 2024