The Advancement of AI Technology: A Crossroads of Opportunity and Crisis In May 2024, the 'AI Seoul Summit' held in Seoul was a historic meeting, attended by heads of state from 28 countries and representatives of major AI companies. Two years later, international discussions surrounding AI governance have become even more intense. AI, regarded as one of the fastest-developing technologies in human history, has now become a core pillar of national economies and security. However, as it brings with it various technical and ethical issues, the world keenly feels the necessity of establishing a new order. What would be the outcome if attempts to regulate and manage AI, a technology that operates across borders, were to be made primarily by individual nations? Recently, many technology experts and policy researchers have emphasized the importance of global AI governance. According to Morten Jerven's article, 'AI's Geopolitical Challenge: Cooperation or Chaos?', published in 'Project Syndicate' on April 11, 2026, the possibility of an AI arms race and issues of data sovereignty could become new sources of geopolitical conflict. The 2025 report by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute (SIPRI) revealed that over 30 countries worldwide are developing military AI systems, with related investments increasing by 47% compared to 2023. Furthermore, if developing countries continue to lack access to AI technology, existing economic disparities are likely to deepen. The United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) projected in its 2026 report that the per capita GDP gap between developed and developing countries could widen by an additional 35% by 2030 due to disparities in AI technology access. These issues suggest the need for a multilateral approach and international agreements that transcend individual national regulations. Firstly, the AI arms race is one of the most concerning problems. The fact that AI technology is being used for military purposes is no longer a fictional scenario from a movie. Several countries are already researching AI-based unmanned drones and autonomous weapon systems, with some entering the deployment phase. The U.S. Department of Defense announced in 2025 its 'Replicator' program, planning to deploy thousands of AI autonomous drones by 2027, while China, in its 2025 defense white paper, explicitly stated its intention to strengthen
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