Rules regarding artificial intelligence’s (AI) military use can be included in the drafted basic law on AI or added to the existing National Defense Act (國防法), since AI technology is progressing rapidly and being used in the military, the legislature’s Legislative Research Bureau said.
The Israeli military in May 2021 deployed AI-guided combat drone swarms to assault Palestinian-controlled Gaza Strip, calling it the world’s first “AI war.”
The US Department of Defense last week said it is considering developing a vast network of AI-powered technology including drones and autonomous systems within the next two years to counter threats from China.
Photo: Reuters
The bureau said AI’s advanced algorithm is beyond human capabilities and can assist in reducing the number of military casualties.
Critics of AI’s military use say over-dependence on AI in the military realm might cause collateral damage to civilians, and that all countries should limit or ban autonomous weapon systems, as Belgium has already done with lethal autonomous weapons.
The bureau said authorities should make the drafting of the AI act more inclusive by consulting with national security and military agencies to strengthen risk management.
It said that related authorities should refer to the Government Procurement Act (政府採購法) and clearly define authorization specifications of AI use in the military in the drafted AI act.
As the legislation process of the drafted act might take longer to integrate opinions from different government agencies, the authorization of AI use in the military can also be added to the existing National Defense Act, along with a scope of application and other limitations to fasten the process, the bureau said.
AI use in the military such as autonomous weapon systems and the risks they carry should be managed through “hierarchical categories” — including “absolutely prohibited” (situations that can possibly cause mass casualties), “relatively prohibited” (situations that might cause partial casualties), and “permitted exceptions” (situations that might harm only uncrewed vehicles, equipment or facilities that would not cause harm to human lives).
Proper AI management in the military can save lives, it said.
SECURITY: Starlink owner Elon Musk has taken pro-Beijing positions, and allowing pro-China companies to control Taiwan’s critical infrastructure is risky, a legislator said Starlink was reluctant to offer services in Taiwan because of the nation’s extremely high penetration rates in 4G and 5G services, the Ministry of Digital Affairs said yesterday. The ministry made the comments at a meeting of the legislature’s Transportation Committee, which reviewed amendments to Article 36 of the Telecommunications Management Act (電信管理法). Article 36 bans foreigners from holding more than 49 percent of shares in public telecommunications networks, while shares foreigners directly and indirectly hold are also capped at 60 percent of the total, unless specified otherwise by law. The amendments, sponsored by Chinese Nationalist Party (KMT) Legislator Ko
The eastern extension of the Taipei MRT Red Line could begin operations as early as late June, the Taipei Department of Rapid Transit Systems said yesterday. Taipei Rapid Transit Corp said it is considering offering one month of free rides on the new section to mark its opening. Construction progress on the 1.4km extension, which is to run from the current terminal Xiangshan Station to a new eastern terminal, Guangci/Fengtian Temple Station, was 90.6 percent complete by the end of last month, the department said in a report to the Taipei City Council's Transportation Committee. While construction began in October 2016 with an
NON-RED SUPPLY: Boosting the nation’s drone industry is becoming increasingly urgent as China’s UAV dominance could become an issue in a crisis, an analyst said Taiwan’s drone exports to Europe grew 41.7-fold from 2024 to last year, with demand from Ukraine’s fight against Russian aggression the most likely driver of growth, a study showed. The Institute for Democracy, Society and Emerging Technology (DSET) in a statement on Wednesday said it found that many of Taiwan’s uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV) sales were from Poland and the Czech Republic. These countries likely transferred the drones to Ukraine to aid it in its fight against the Russian invasion that started in 2022, it said. Despite the gains, Taiwan is not the dominant drone exporter to these markets, ranking second and fourth
Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi’s comment last year on Tokyo’s potential reaction to a Taiwan-China conflict has forced Beijing to rewrite its invasion plans, a retired Japanese general said. Takaichi told the Diet on Nov. 7 last year that a Chinese naval blockade or military attack on Taiwan could constitute a “survival-threatening situation” for Japan, potentially allowing Tokyo to exercise its right to collective self-defense. Former Japan Ground Self-Defense Force general Kiyofumi Ogawa said in a recent speech that the remark has been interpreted as meaning Japan could intervene in the early stages of a Taiwan Strait conflict, undermining China’s previous assumptions
RSS