This text discusses the legal and ethical challenges posed by the development and use of autonomous weapon systems (AWS), which are weapons capable of selecting and engaging targets without human intervention.
The author argues that existing international law, including international humanitarian law, human rights law, and weapons law, is inadequate to govern AWS. These systems raise unique ethical concerns related to human control over the use of force, and the potential for biased algorithms and the difficulty of holding individuals responsible for their actions.
The author concludes that a new, comprehensive, and legally binding treaty on AWS is necessary to address these shortcomings.
