Senator Edward Markey is urging the United States to enact legislation preventing artificial intelligence from controlling nuclear weapons. Referencing the anniversary of the first nuclear explosion, Markey warned of the emerging threat of AI militarization in the nuclear arena. He emphasized the urgency of passing legislation to prevent AI from having any authority over nuclear launch decisions.

Markey has introduced several amendments to the National Defense Authorization Act, aiming to restrict the military's use of AI in nuclear launch decisions. These amendments also address nuclear disarmament and nonproliferation, proposing to redirect funds from nuclear weapons development towards vaccine research.

One amendment draws from the Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Act, which explicitly prohibits AI from making nuclear launch decisions. This legislation was initially introduced in April by Markey and a bipartisan group of Representatives, including Ted Lieu, Don Beyer, and Ken Buck.

At the time of introduction, supporters stressed the importance of human oversight in critical military decisions, especially those involving lethal force. While acknowledging the potential benefits of AI in national security, they argued that granting AI control over nuclear weapons deployment is irresponsible and dangerous. Rep. Buck emphasized that such decisions require human control and oversight.

The proposed bill reinforces existing Pentagon policy mandating human involvement in all nuclear weapons decisions. This push for legislation coincides with the Pentagon's request for $1.8 billion in funding for AI research and development in its fiscal year 2024 budget.