Shanghai convened experts on AI and chemical safety
The Hague, 27 June 2025. The Organisation for the Prohibition of Chemical Weapons (OPCW) and the Government of the People’s Republic of China (PRC) held an international seminar in Shanghai dedicated to the use of artificial intelligence in managing chemical safety and security. The discussion focused simultaneously on new opportunities for peaceful chemistry and potential risks to the implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention (CWC).
The meeting took place from 17 to 20 June and was designed as a practical platform for the exchange of experience among States Parties. Against the backdrop of the rapid growth of AI capabilities, participants considered how to avoid turning technological progress into a blind spot for monitoring and verification.
AI’s versatility across a wide range of tasks
Modern artificial intelligence is used to solve many tasks. And almost everywhere this technology demonstrates very high effectiveness. Among numerous examples, the following can be cited:
- Scientists and financial institutions use AI to analyze big data and generate forecasts. In this segment, the technology has begun to replace human analysts;
- In the iGaming industry, AI is often used for customer service. We confirmed this after we examined search results and an open site featuring reviews of no-deposit bonuses, since the largest iGaming brands are presented there. It turned out that almost all of them use AI in customer support services;
- Designers use generative AI to create images of varying complexity and level of detail. The technology does not yet fully replace specialists, however it is already able to save many hours when creating various concepts.
Considering all of the above, it is quite clear that artificial intelligence will also be actively used in various industrial tasks, including in the chemical sector.
Scale and composition of seminar participants
The seminar lasted four days and brought together a significant number of participants and observers from 29 States Parties to the Chemical Weapons Convention, representing all regional groups. Senior officials, scientific experts, and industry representatives took part in the discussion, which made it possible to compare regulatory, research, and production perspectives.
Expert input was provided by 12 specialists from 11 organizations, including representatives of China, other countries, and international institutions. This composition made the conversation both technical and policy-and-governance oriented, with attention to how AI solutions are translated into safety procedures at facilities and into oversight practices.
How the work proceeded and which topics dominated
The programme included thematic lectures, roundtable discussions, and site visits. The formats alternated so that participants could move from principles and scenarios to applied cases, and then return to questions of regulation and responsibility.
During the discussions, two focal points took hold, around which the logic of all sessions was built:
- the development of AI and models of governance for it, including issues of trust, transparency, and accountability
- the impact of AI on chemistry, chemical research, and the chemical industry, from accelerating the development of substances to optimizing manufacturing processes
The official theme of the seminar was formulated as a separate slogan
“AI for Good and for All: Enhancing the Role of Artificial Intelligence in the Implementation of the Chemical Weapons Convention”.
AI as an accelerator and as a source of vulnerabilities for the CWC regime
Special attention was paid to how AI simultaneously expands monitoring tools and creates new ways to circumvent restrictions. A common idea was voiced in the assessments: the faster the technology develops, the more important it is to embed safeguards early in the practices of laboratories, production facilities, and supply chains.
In applied terms, opportunities and challenges for the implementation of the Convention were discussed, including the risks of AI misuse and threats from non-state actors. Among the topics that participants considered potentially problematic were:
- threats to the integrity of chemical product supply chains, including data substitution and manipulation of documentation
- cyber vulnerabilities capable of affecting both industrial infrastructure and the information contours of oversight
- the potential use of advanced technologies for illicit chemical activities or terrorism
Against this background, the dynamics of global AI governance were also addressed, including regulatory approaches and best practices that have emerged in China. At the same time, it was acknowledged that comparing regulatory regimes is often complicated by differences in terminology, access to data, and the level of the industry’s readiness to share sensitive information.
What the seminar provides to States Parties
The organizers positioned the meeting as a platform where States Parties, especially developing countries and economies in transition, can obtain practical knowledge and tools for developing and applying AI in the context of the peaceful uses of chemistry. In discussions, AI was often described as a new laboratory instrument that dramatically increases speed, but requires calibration, quality control, and clear operating rules.
A separate track was capacity building for the implementation of the Convention and engagement in the discussion of global approaches to AI governance. This part of the agenda was not limited to training, but also to developing a common language so that AI’s technical capabilities are correctly translated into compliance requirements, that is, adherence to the norms and procedures set out in the Convention.
China’s position and three proposals for cooperation
Vice Minister of Industry and Information Technology of the PRC Zhang Yunming, in his opening remarks, emphasized China’s position on using science and technology to strengthen chemical safety and security, noting AI’s supporting role in the implementation of the Convention. In his interpretation, AI serves as a tool for improving risk management if it is based on the responsibility of developers and users.
The Chinese side formulated three proposals:
1) Support multilateralism and forge a global consensus on issues of compliance with the Convention.
2) Promote fair and inclusive cooperation for capacity building on compliance with the CWC, paying special attention to the needs of developing countries.
3) Build a trustworthy and controllable governance ecosystem by promoting the responsible use of science and technology.
The opening ceremony was also attended by Vice Mayor of Shanghai Chen Jie, Permanent Representative of China to the OPCW Tang Jian, and Deputy Director-General of the OPCW Odette Melono, as well as representatives of China’s National Authority.
OPCW assessment and initiatives already launched
OPCW Director-General Fernando Arias noted that AI can accelerate scientific and technological progress and increase production efficiency and safety in the chemical industry. At the same time, he emphasized the need to assess and mitigate the risks that AI may pose to the implementation of the Convention, including the threat of misuse, including by non-state actors.
As context, steps that the OPCW is already taking in this area were mentioned, including the AI Research Challenge, the establishment of a temporary AI working group, and the Global Conference on AI and the CWC (2024) in Morocco. It was noted that the Shanghai seminar became the first OPCW capacity-building programme fully dedicated to AI and chemical safety and security, and that its results should support further discussions within the Organisation and, in the longer term, serve as a pilot basis for future programmes.
The OPCW and the Chemical Weapons Convention in numbers
The OPCW is the implementing body of the Chemical Weapons Convention and brings together 193 States Parties. The Convention has been in force since 1997 and is considered one of the most successful disarmament treaties, having eliminated an entire class of weapons of mass destruction under international verification.
In 2023, the OPCW confirmed the irreversible destruction of all declared chemical weapons stockpiles declared by States Parties since 1997, with a total volume of 72,304 metric tonnes of chemical agents, under a strict verification regime. For its contribution to the elimination of chemical weapons, the OPCW was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2013.