The UN and Autonomous Weapons Systems

target="_blank">The UN and Autonomous Weapons Systems: A Missed Opportunity?

by Liran Antebi, INSS

After years of focusing on the legality of targeted assassinations with attack-enhanced remotely-operated UAVs, UN circles came to the realization that the development of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), which choose their targets without human involvement, is already well underway and may prove to be a profound global challenge. Meanwhile, the human rights-based initiative against lethal autonomous weapons systems is gathering momentum because the systems are armed and present the danger that innocent bystanders will be harmed at any time and in any place – though not necessarily because these systems are automated. While protection of human rights in areas of conflict is a very important but relatively limited interest, the threat emanating from the uncontrolled development of autonomous systems in general is liable to challenge much greater numbers of people, if not humanity overall. Therefore, continued action by the UN that is informed only by the agenda of human rights organizations may well lead to unnecessary complexities, if not lasting tragedy.

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