'out of the loop': autonomous weapon systems and the law of armed conflict

Of particular relevance is the International Human Rights Clinic’s publication, Losing Humanity: The Case Against Killer Robots, which contended that autonomous weapons systems would violate the laws of armed conflict, and the Martens Clause and, therefore, requires a pre-emptive ban.

Given the controversial nature of such weapon systems and the inherent accountability gap present within such frameworks, rapid technological advancements in the industry have been rife with constant criticisms and pre-emptive recommendations by NGOs, human rights organisations, and think tanks. However, its simplicity and novelty are painfully ill-suited for the contemporary military realities of autonomous weapon systems. The Laws of Robotics, invented by Asimov for his myriad of science fiction universes, serve as an elegant and hierarchical set of rules dictating the actions of robots.

“A robot may not injure a human being or, through inaction, a llow a human being to come to harm.”

This blog is a part of the RSRR Editor’s Column Series. This article has been authored by Paritoshvir Singh Baath, Technical Editor and Shagnik Mukherjea, Assistant Editor at RSRR.

'out of the loop': autonomous weapon systems and the law of armed conflict