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SIPRI at the 2020 Munich Security Conference

SIPRI at the 2020 Munich Security Conference
Dan Smith, SIPRI Director, and Dr Sibylle Bauer, Director of Studies, Armament and Disarmament, during the roundtable discussion on 'Artificial Intelligence and Strategic Stability’

The theme of this year’s Munich Security Conference, 14–16 February, was the phenomenon of ‘Westlessness’. SIPRI played an active role at the conference and hosted a roundtable discussion on the theme ‘Artificial Intelligence and Strategic Stability’, chaired by Dan Smith, SIPRI Director, and Dr Sibylle Bauer, Director of Studies, Armament and Disarmament.

The event discussed how against the shifting dynamics of world power, artificial intelligence (AI) is already influencing deterrence relations among nuclear-armed states. Integration of AI into military platforms offers weaker nuclear-armed states the opportunity to reset imbalances in capabilities. At the same time, concerns have increased that stronger states use AI to reinforce their dominance in more provocative actions. On the other side, AI and related technologies can both increase transparency and reduce risk of accidental nuclear use and can thus be a factor for stability. The discussion focused on means of handling the complex balance, maintaining the nuclear disarmament agenda and keeping pace with technological advancements.

Throughout the conference, SIPRI’s delegation held several high-level bilateral discussions and spoke with Al Jazeera, Deutsche Welle, Swiss Radio and Television, Financial Times, among others.

Explore SIPRI’s work on emerging military and security technologies.

 

Media contacts

For information and interview requests contact SIPRI Communications Officer Alexandra Manolache (alexandra.manolache@sipri.org, +46 766 286 133) or SIPRI Communications Director Stephanie Blenckner (blenckner@sipri.org, +46 8 655 97 47).