Image source: opcw
The opening Global Conference on the Role of Artificial Intelligence (AI) in Strengthening the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC) concluded in Rabat, Morocco.
The conference is organized by Morocco’s National Authority for the Convention and the Technical Secretariat of the Organization for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW), the event brought together representatives from 46 countries, along with leading experts, scientists, and policymakers from around the world.
Throughout the conference, participants underlined AI’s transformative potential in advancing the peaceful applications of chemistry, improving verification processes, and enhancing chemical safety and security. Sessions addressed the significant risks linked to potential misuse of AI by non-state groups and terrorist organizations, reaffirming the threat such misuse poses to the goals of the Chemical Weapons Convention.
The conference highlighted the crucial role of international cooperation and the need for safe, transparent AI development and application that along with (CWC) objectives. Delegates called for continued research, capacity-building initiatives, and policies to reduce associated risks, noting that AI’s growing role in global peace and security must be responsibly managed.
The conference emphasized equitable access to AI benefits across regions, including Africa, and acknowledged AI’s ability to support capacity-building initiatives. Strengthening the capabilities of developing States Parties to implement the (CWC) effectively was a key focus, along with assisting in national capacity-building efforts and providing access to OPCW developed AI technologies and other innovations.
Furthermore, within the conference guidance for ongoing collaboration among governments, industry, and the scientific community was outlined, with recommendations to facilitate experience-sharing and adoption of AI best practices.
The conference’s outcomes will help in determining future strategies to influence AI in support of OPCW’s mission to prevent the re-emergence of chemical weapons.
Finally, the conference emphasized the importance of continued engagement on these recommendations and the development of a collaborative action plan to optimize AI’s role in supporting a world free from chemical weapons.
