Artificial Intelligence has been incorporated in almost all different sectors, whether it is health, education, commerce or defence. The use of artificial intelligence in emerging war technologies is increasing exponentially. AI has become a strategic asset in the military arsenal across the globe. Most of the war technologies have used AI in different areas like empowering autonomous weapon systems, enabling cyber warfare, surveillance drones, and so on.
China and India have incorporated AI in modern technology, unlike Pakistan. which thus finds itself uniquely exposed. As political and defence pundits have opined, the new technology revolutions offer double-edged prospects on the one hand while on the other hand, there are numerous challenges for countries like Pakistan.
It has been argued that both India and China march on in the race to develop and integrate AI across their military arsenals. As we are well aware Pakistan has long faced daunting security issues, not least because of its troubled history with India, a regional power with which it has been a military and technological competitor for decades. It has been argued that a new level of competition between China and India may also have some consequences for the country like Pakistan.
The gradual development of AI military technologies in India and China poses a direct challenge to Pakistan’s deterrence strategy. Hence, Pakistan must enhance its military technologies because it is inevitable for the country to survive in 21st-century warfare. The rising tension between India and Pakistan may create a tough situation for Pakistan if it cannot adopt AI technology. The technology can make war faster, easier, and more precise. But it also brings new risks that have never been seen before — the loss of human control over the use of lethal force and the speed at which conflict can now escalate.
Pakistan is observing these developments; while its immediate higher priority right now would be military AI, it is outwitting adversaries India and China. There will be heavy investments in AI technologies in India’s military modernization program. The government of India seeks to integrate AI into its military strategy —focusing on autonomous systems, precision warfare, and AI-enhanced cyber capabilities.
This announced platform by India raises alarms, as Pakistan is concerned about India’s growing reliance on AI to firm up its military posture, particularly concerning offensive capability, which can change the asymmetry of the balance of power in the region. China, too, is marching ahead with AI development and has set its eyes on self-reliance on AI technologies. AI is central to the Chinese government’s vision of a future military, and they are beginning to weave AI into defense technologies. China has been concerned about its autonomy as well as the destabilizing potential of China’s advances in autonomous weapons powered by artificial intelligence, surveillance systems, and missile defence systems.
Considering Pakistan’s historical recourse to traditional deterrence to counter India’s military advantages, the militarization of AI is a new, vexed challenge. Pakistan’s most significant concern is that Defence AI will trigger an arms race in the region that could destabilize the strategic balance of power in the area maintained for decades. Yet even as we create AIs in chummy environments or, at least technologically speaking, unleash them on the world, accountability will feel like an immediate question.
The future of arms control in South Asia depends on Pakistan’s ability to balance its security with the risks posed by the rapid growth of AI in the region. Indian diplomacy must once again reach out to find common ground with China and Pakistan in such an uncertain environment where it seeks arms control agreements in a balanced perspective where Indian strategic stability does not suffer due to the destabilization of South Asia and where stability also takes precedence.
Pakistan is an outspoken supporter of the regulation of AI militarization. Islamabad, at the global level, has also been advocating for a complete ban on autonomous weapon systems. Pakistan has also supported a protocol to the Convention on Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) that prohibits fully autonomous lethal armaments.
Pakistan has relied on both conventional military capabilities and nuclear deterrence for more than four decades to maintain competitive security and deter aggression from its neighboring country, India. However, this balance is threatened by AI-powered weapon systems. Using AI-driven systems in Pakistan will respond with breathtaking speed, there may not even be time to relay signals or negotiate for de-escalation to prevent war.
Furthermore, the convergence of AI with other disruptive technologies, such as cyber warfare, space-based missile defense, and quantum computing, makes the security challenges even more complex. AI’s role in these domains could radically redefine the character of warfare and jeopardize the stability of Pakistan’s nuclear deterrent.
The future of arms control in South Asia depends on Pakistan’s ability to balance its security with the risks posed by the rapid growth of AI in the region. Indian diplomacy must once again reach out to find common ground with China and Pakistan in such an uncertain environment where it seeks arms control agreements in a balanced perspective where Indian strategic stability does not suffer due to the destabilization of South Asia and where stability also takes precedence.
