Weapons

How can international law regulate autonomous weapons?

Artificial intelligence (AI) and machine learning are rapidly entering the arena of modern warfare. This trend presents highly complex challenges for policymakers, lawyers, scientists, ethicists, and military planners, and also for society itself.

Some militaries are already far advanced in automating everything from personnel systems and equipment maintenance to the deployment of surveillance drones and robots. Some states have even deployed defensive systems (like Israel’s Iron Dome) that can stop incoming missiles or torpedoes faster than a human could react. These weapons have come online after extensive review of their conformity with longstanding principles of the laws of armed conflict, including international humanitarian law. These include the ability to hold individuals and states accountable for actions that violate norms of civilian protection and human rights.