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Australia’s Foreign Minister riffs on artificial intelligence, deepfakes, and the “collapse of truth altogether” in United Nations speech.
The Australian Minister for Foreign Affairs, Penny Wong, has warned the United Nations Security Council that artificial intelligence must never be used in conjunction with nuclear weapons systems.
“Nuclear warfare has so far been constrained by human judgement. By leaders who bear responsibility and by human conscience,” Wong said in a September 26 address to the UN Security Council in New York.
“AI has no such concern, nor can it be held accountable. These weapons threaten to change war itself, and they risk escalation without warning.
“President, decisions of life and death must never be delegated to machines.”
Wong said that rules must be set and norms established for the “safe, secure, responsible and ethical” use of AI.
“To ensure AI transforms the tools of conflict and diplomacy for the better, the Security Council must lead by example – to strengthen international peace and security and ensure it is not undermined,” Wong said.
The Foreign Minister’s speech is part of Australia’s pitch for a non-permanent seat on the Security Council during the 2029-30 term. Wong said this was because Australians “believe international peace and security needs effective multilateralism”.
“And we seek to bring our experience investing in building resilience and closing digital divides through resilient digital infrastructure and our capacity-building partnerships across our region.”
Artificial intelligence dominated Wong’s speech, with the surge in AI-based mis- and disinformation figuring prominently.
“While once we grappled to discern fact from propaganda, we are now witness to a collapse of truth altogether,” Wong said.
“Content deliberately designed to deceive is now almost indistinguishable from reality. False voices. Fabricated images. Manufactured narratives. Algorithms amplifying fiction masquerading as fact.
“And together, this risks destabilising societies and deepening divisions.”
David Hollingworth has been writing about technology for over 20 years, and has worked for a range of print and online titles in his career. He is enjoying getting to grips with cyber security, especially when it lets him talk about Lego.
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