Writing in the Hill Times on June 15, 2026, former Senator and Disarmament Ambassador and longtime G78 supporter Douglas Roche underscores that “AI is widely considered the most profound shift in warfare since nuclear weapons, fundamentally altering how wars are fought because it can replace human decision-making.”
However, he notes, Prime Minister Carney and Defence Minister David McGuinty have, under questioning, recently stated that humans, not machines, will make Canada’s military decisions on the use of lethal force. Indeed, Carney has discussed this matter with Pope Leo, who has argued, Roche points out, that “the decision to use lethal force cannot be delegated to opaque or automated processes, but must remain under effective, self-aware and responsible human control.”
Yet the threat of AI’s cheaper, faster and deeper war-making potential is real. However, as Roche says: “To slow down this algorithmic escalation, Canada’s commitment to multilateral treaties, international oversight bodies, peace-keeping, and peace-making must also be redoubled, with AI also being deployed to support such initiatives.”
He concludes: “If AI can be used to accelerate war-making, it can also be used to augment and accelerate peace-keeping, conflict prevention, and accountability under international law. This requires political will and substantial investment which we have not yet seen.”