Story at a glance
- The United States is reportedly pushing for a “code of conduct” rather than a blanket ban on lethal autonomous weapons systems commonly referred to as “killer robots.”
- “In our view, the best way to make progress … would be through the development of a non-binding code of conduct,” US official Josh Dorosin told a meeting in Geneva.
- At least 30 countries have called for a ban on killer robots.
The United States is reportedly pushing for a “code of conduct” rather than a blanket ban on lethal autonomous weapons systems commonly referred to as “killer robots.”
“In our view, the best way to make progress … would be through the development of a non-binding code of conduct,” US State Department official Josh Dorosin told the meeting in Geneva prior to a review conference on the Convention of Certain Conventional Weapons set to take place Dec. 13 through Dec. 17, according to The Guardian.
Dorosin reportedly added that such a code “would help states promote responsible behaviour and compliance with international law.”
The U.N. has held talks on the issue of “killer robots,” which are recognized as distinct from drones, since 2017, and U.N. chief António Guterres joined a host of activists calling for a blanket ban in 2018.
The Washington Post reported at least 30 countries have called for a ban on killer robots, which, according to the Future of Life Institute, can “select and engage targets without human intervention.”
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In 2018, 160 organizations and 2,460 individuals, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk, signed on to a pledge from the institute, vowing not to engage in the development of lethal autonomous weapons.
“Thousands of AI researchers agree that by removing the risk, attributability, and difficulty of taking human lives, lethal autonomous weapons could become powerful instruments of violence and oppression, especially when linked to surveillance and data systems,” the pledge reads.
“Moreover, lethal autonomous weapons have characteristics quite different from nuclear, chemical and biological weapons, and the unilateral actions of a single group could too easily spark an arms race that the international community lacks the technical tools and global governance systems to manage,” the pledge adds.
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