Several nations gathered at the United Nations (U.N.) on Monday to revisit a topic that the international community has been deliberating for over a decade: the absence of regulations on lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), colloquially known as “killer robots.”
This latest round of talks comes as wars rage in Ukraine and Gaza.
Although the meeting was conducted privately, U.N. Secretary-General António Guterres issued a statement reaffirming his 2026 deadline for establishing a legally binding framework to address the threats posed by LAWS.
“Machines that possess the power and discretion to take human lives without human oversight are politically unacceptable, morally objectionable, and should be prohibited by international law,” Guterres stated. “We cannot entrust machines with life-or-death decisions,” he further emphasized.
United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres speaks during a Security Council meeting during the 79th United Nations General Assembly at U.N. headquarters in New York City on Sept. 27, 2024. (Reuters/Eduardo Munoz)
Artificial intelligence is not necessarily a prerequisite for something to be considered an autonomous weapon, according to the U.N., as not all autonomous systems fully rely on AI. Some can use pre-programmed functions for certain tasks. However, AI “could further enable” autonomous weapons systems, the U.N. said.
Vice President of the Conservative Partnership Institute Rachel Bovard, however, says that while regulation of autonomous weapons is necessary, the U.S. needs to be cautious when it comes to the development of international law.
“AI is the wild west and every country is trying to determine the rules of the road. Some regulation will be imperative to preserving our humanity. When it comes to international law, however, the U.S. should proceed with caution,” Bovard told Fox News Digital. “As we have learned with everything from trade to health, subjecting our national sovereignty to international dictates can have lasting unintended consequences. If existing international law is sufficient at the moment, that is what should govern.”
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas addresses the 79th session of the United Nations General Assembly on Thursday, Sept. 26, 2024 at U.N. headquarters. (AP Photo/Frank Franklin II)
Countries in the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons have been meeting since 2014 to discuss a possible full ban on LAWS that operate without human control and to regulate those with more human involvement, according to Reuters.
In 2023, more than 160 nations backed a U.N. resolution calling on countries across the globe to address the risks posed by LAWS. However, there is currently no international law specifically regulating LAWS.
