India, Sept. 26 -- Artificial intelligence is rapidly becoming a force multiplier on the battlefield, helping militaries identify targets, guide weapons and compress decisions from minutes to seconds. But while the technology races ahead, diplomacy remains trapped in debates over human control, accountability and rules that may no longer match the realities of modern warfare

Artificial intelligence has moved from the margins of defence planning to the heart of the war room, and the diplomacy meant to govern it is being left far behind. Machines now sift oceans of surveillance data and hand commanders ranked target lists in seconds. The people who set the rules are still arguing over definitions that date back to the last decade.

Washing...