Legal support for the use and advancement of artificial intelligence in Ukraine’s demining

Abstract

Problem setting. One of the biggest problems that significantly limits or even prevents Ukrainian farmers from using natural resources is the high level of mine contamination in large areas. Moreover, effective mine action is significantly hampered by the continuation of hostilities and changes in the front line. These factors cause changes in the areas of suspected and confirmed contaminated territories. Thus, almost a third of Ukraine’s controlled territory needs to be surveyed. Even by rough estimates, humanitarian demining of these territories could take decades and cost billions of dollars. The use of artificial intelligence products for demining, especially if they are improved, could reduce the resources and time required to almost 10 years. Analyses of recent researches and publications. Androshchuk G. explores general strategic issues concerning the role of artificial intelligence in the development of the digital economy, copyright issues for works created with the help of artificial intelligence, and the degree of trust in artificial intelligence. The works of A. Hachkevych and L. Tovkun outline issues of legal regulation and international experience in the implementation of artificial intelligence. Articles by K. Yefremova and O. Chernenko highlight the principles of artificial intelligence development, theoretical approaches to the regulation of artificial intelligence in the EU, and specific issues related to the implementation of artificial intelligence in various fields, including financial systems. The purpose of this article is to study the peculiarities of modern legal support for the use and improvement of artificial intelligence models to enhance safety, quality, and speed up demining in Ukraine. Article’s main body. The article is devoted to the study of legal support for the application of existing technologies, as well as the improvement of artificial intelligence for humanitarian demining in Ukraine. It has been established that legislation tends to set general frameworks, while the immediate details and limits of use are established by specific agreements. Particular attention is paid to the analysis of international contractual regulation of cooperation between the Ukrainian government and the leading US technology corporation Palantir Technologies Inc. This company has set itself the ambitious goal of becoming a game changer in the world of technology and using its products and capabilities for maximum social benefit, rather than just commercial profit. Thus, in-depth international cooperation on the application of artificial intelligence with Palantir was initiated by the Ministry of Digital Transformation of Ukraine and continued by the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine specifically for more effective humanitarian demining. Conclusions and prospects for the development. Thus, Ukraine’s implementation of various artificial intelligence technologies, as well as the contractual regulation of such relations, is far ahead of the relevant national legal framework, particularly in sensitive areas such as national security and defence. It is expected that a specialised law will be developed and adopted in the near future, in 2026–2027, to implement the provisions of EU Act 2024/1689. Ideally, this law will take into account national experience in the widespread implementation of artificial intelligence, from recording evidence of war crimes committed by the aggressor in Ukraine to prioritising the demining of certain territories. A promising area of research would be to analyse the various types of memoranda and the characteristics of the parties’ obligations in more detail. It would also be interesting and useful, both theoretically and practically, to establish the nature, characteristics and legal basis of the Ministry of Economy of Ukraine’s cooperation in the field of humanitarian demining, and Ukraine’s cooperation as a whole, if and when such data is made public — for example, after the war ends or cooperation with Palantir concludes — as well as the consequences of such cooperation.