Measuring Autonomous Weapon Systems against International Humanitarian Law Rules

This article examines whether Autonomous Weapon Systems (AWS) can comply with international humanitarian law (IHL). The author, Dr. Thompson Chengeta, argues that AWS cannot satisfy core IHL rules such as distinction, proportionality, and military necessity, because these standards depend on contextual human judgment that cannot be reduced to machine code. Chengeta contends that even where an AWS might technically satisfy some IHL requirements, its use would still violate the right to dignity, which he argues requires that any decision to use lethal force against a human being be made by a fellow human. He frames the central question not as whether robots can outperform human soldiers in combat, but as whether autonomous systems should ever be permitted to act as combatants at all.