Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS)
48 Articles
Latin America and Caribbean Nations Rally Against Autonomous Weapons Systems
After a decade of debate, it is urgent for States to start drafting new legally binding rules to prevent the automation of killing.
Investigating (Mis)conduct in War is Already Difficult: Will the use of Military AI Make it Harder?
While AI could strengthen some aspects of wartime investigations, it also presents significant challenges around assessing collected evidence.
Gendering the Legal Review of New Means and Methods of Warfare
Weapons' use and impact on civilians and combatants varies across genders - meaning States must undertake gender-sensitive reviews of new weapons.
Paradigm Shift: The Consequences of Choosing a War Path, and Leaving It
We owe it to the next generation to grapple now with the consequences of remaining at war -- as well as the consequences of choosing not to be -- lest we find ourselves reflexively…
Adding AI to Autonomous Weapons Increases Risks to Civilians in Armed Conflict
A new report from the National Security Commission on AI advocated for the use of AI but also highlighted key risks posed by AI-enabled and autonomous weapons, particularly the…
An Enduring Impasse on Autonomous Weapons
Are existing international laws sufficient or are new legal rules needed to codify the “human element” in the use of force?
Remarks by Defense Dept General Counsel Paul C. Ney Jr. on the Law of War
The General Counsel of the U.S. Department of Defense, Hon. Paul C. Ney Jr., delivered the keynote address (full text below) at the Israel Defense Forces 3rd International Conference…
National Security at the United Nations This Week
Editors’ Note: This is the latest in Just Security’s weekly series keeping readers up to date on developments at the United Nations at the intersection of national security,…
Lethal Autonomous Weapons and Policy-Making Amid Disruptive Technological Change
(In Part I of this post on UN talks on lethal autonomous weapons, I discussed how the underlying artificial intelligence that enables autonomous systems is improving rapidly. In…
The Lethal Autonomous Weapons Governmental Meeting (Part I: Coping with Rapid Technological Change)
This week nations meet at the United Nations to discuss lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS), including robotic weapons that might hunt for targets on their own. It has been…
Autonomous Weapon Systems and the Decision to Kill
The decision to kill other humans lies at the heart of concerns over Autonomous Weapon Systems (AWS). Human judgment regarding whether lives will be taken and objects destroyed…
CCW Review Conference: Autonomous Weapons Discussion to Continue But Regulation Remains Unlikely
The most significant outcome from last week’s CCW Review Conference was the decision to create a UN Group of Governmental Experts (GGE), which will meet for 10 days in 2017 to…