A global summit held in South Korea on Tuesday unveiled a “blueprint for action” aimed at regulating the responsible deployment of artificial intelligence (AI) within military contexts.

This new framework offers more actionable guidelines compared to a similar initiative from the previous year, although it remains legally non-binding.

It remains uncertain how many of the 96 countries represented at the summit, including the United States and China, will endorse this document.

The Responsible AI in the Military Domain (REAIM) summit in Seoul is the second of its kind, following an event in Amsterdam last year where approximately 60 nations supported a less formal “call to action” without legal obligations.

During a roundtable discussion on Tuesday, government officials emphasized that this year’s “blueprint” is more focused on actionable steps.

This shift aligns with the evolving discourse surrounding AI risks and the military’s adoption of AI technologies, exemplified by Ukraine’s implementation of AI-driven drones.

“We are making further concrete steps,” stated Netherlands Defence Minister Ruben Brekelmans to Reuters. “Last year was more about creating shared understanding; now we are moving towards action.”

The document outlines necessary risk assessments, emphasizes human oversight, and discusses confidence-building measures to mitigate those risks.

Notably, it addresses the prevention of AI’s use in the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction (WMD) by various actors, including terrorist organizations, and underscores the necessity of human involvement in nuclear weapons operations. South Korean officials noted that the document aligns with principles established in other frameworks, such as the U.S. government’s guidelines on responsible military AI usage introduced last year.

However, the Seoul summit—co-hosted by the Netherlands, Singapore, Kenya, and the United Kingdom—seeks to foster ongoing discussions among multiple stakeholders, avoiding dominance by any single nation or entity. The location and schedule for the next summit are still under discussion.