Rome Declaration calls for human control over AI and nuclear weapons

Nobel laureates, scientists, religious leaders and former heads of state and government have signed the Rome Declaration for an Unarmed and Disarming Peace in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, Nuclear and Autonomous Weapons, New Digital Protocols, and Emerging Models of Digital Development.

The declaration was adopted on 16 July on Rome’s Capitoline Hill following the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly on Artificial Intelligence and Nuclear War, hosted by the Vatican.

The declaration calls for renewed international cooperation to address the challenges posed by AI, nuclear weapons and other emerging technologies. It stresses that decisions concerning life and death, peace and war, and the future of humanity should remain under meaningful human control, while highlighting the importance of ensuring that technological progress is guided by ethics, responsibility and respect for human dignity.

The declaration concludes the Global Nobel Laureates Assembly, which brought together more than 200 participants from research institutions, international organisations and civil society. The organisers said the initiative seeks to encourage dialogue on the governance of AI, nuclear weapons and other technologies with significant implications for international peace and security.

Why does it matter?

The declaration reflects growing international efforts to address AI alongside nuclear risks and other emerging technologies through a common governance framework. It also adds to ongoing discussions about maintaining meaningful human control over decisions involving the use of force and other technologies with potentially existential consequences.

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