Once confined to the realm of science fiction, autonomous weapons systems, colloquially known as “killer robots,” are on the verge of becoming a reality due to the swift progress of artificial intelligence.

In response to this development, international organizations have been increasingly advocating for limitations or outright bans on their deployment.

In November, the U.N. General Assembly took a significant step by adopting the first-ever resolution addressing these weapons systems, which have the capability to identify and engage targets without human intervention.

The Harvard Gazette spoke with Bonnie Docherty, a lecturer on law at Harvard Law School’s International Human Rights Clinic (IHRC), who participated in several U.N. meetings.

Additionally, Docherty holds the position of a senior researcher in the Arms Division of Human Rights Watch.

When the Gazette asked, “What exactly are killer robots? To what extent are they a reality?”

Docherty responded, “Killer robots, or autonomous weapons systems to use the more technical term, are systems that choose a target and fire on it based on sensor inputs rather than human inputs.”

“They have been under development for a while but are rapidly becoming a reality,” she said. “We are increasingly concerned about them because weapons systems with significant autonomy over the use of force are already being used on the battlefield.”

The United Nations and the Red Cross Society, both committed to safeguarding human rights, have collaboratively advocated for an international treaty addressing the issue of “killer robots” – an alternative term for autonomous weapon systems with the capability to independently decide when to employ lethal force, the Times Of India reported.

Given the swift progress of artificial intelligence, these organizations are urging all 193 member countries to participate in discussions aimed at assessing the necessity for regulations or a comprehensive ban on these autonomous weapon systems.

Written by B.C. Begley

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