Addressing the Robot in the Room: Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems

“Hasta La Vista, Baby” – T-800

Contrary to maybe what you want to believe – 

Artificial Intelligence IS BEING DEVELOPED to be used on the battlefield in the form of Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS). 

In February 2022, the Russian Federation (Russia) began its invasion of Ukraine. By relying heavily on unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAV) such as drones, unmanned ground vehicles, and unmanned water vehicles, both Russia and Ukraine brought a new era of warfare to the world stage.

With military strategies highlighting autonomous robots and technology, an international discussion on this special class of weapon systems has sparked.

What are LAWS?

While there is currently no global standard, the Congressional Research Service defines LAWS as “weapon systems that are sensor suites and computer algorithms to independently identify a target and employ an onboard weapon system to engage and destroy the target without manual human control of the system.” 

(As most modern systems engage multiple weapons, we will refer to it as a weapons system throughout this article).

Confused? Don’t worry because we’re about to break this down. 

L, is for Lethal 

Lethal means sufficient to cause death. Therefore, the weapon itself must have the sufficient means to be fatal to an individual. 

A, is for Autonomous 

Autonomous means responding, reacting, or developing independently of the whole. In reference to weapons, autonomy is recognized as the degree to which a human is involved in the decision making process and this involvement dictates the classification type.

The classification types are as follows:

• Fully Autonomous
  • Once the weapon system is activated, it can select and engage targets without further intervention by a human operator. 
  • A human is out of the loop. (And yes, the main robot in the Terminator would classify as this type).

• Human Supervised Fully Autonomous
  • Operators have the ability to monitor and halt a weapon’s target engagement. 
  • A human is on the loop, but not in the loop.

• Semi-Autonomous
  • Once the weapon system is activated, it can only engage individual targets or target groups selected by a human operator. 
  • A human is in the loop. 

WS, is for Weapons System

A weapons system is a military weapon and the components necessary to its proper function, such as targeting and guidance devices. Let’s build this out?

So, at its most simplified level, LAWS are complex military weapons designed to identify and cause death to targets with varying levels of human involvement. This definition is important to understanding the conversations surrounding “Killer Robots,” because there is no global standard to define what a LAW is. 

In March, 2023 the United Nations (UN) released a Non-Exhaustive Compilation of Definitions and Characterizations  by the Group of Governmental Experts on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons and Systems. In this document, the five permanent members of the UN Security Council proposed ideas to be included in a definition for LAWS.

Unsurprisingly, the proposals followed a pattern often present in international politics. 

• The US and the United Kingdom submitted a joint proposal along with their allies, Australia, Canada, Japan, and the Republic of Korea. It called for humanitarian initiatives to be included in the definition, such as limitations in use against civilians and a necessary level of human involvement. 
• Russia submitted a very logical proposal. It requested descriptions of weapons that are LAWS, consideration to the future development of LAWS, and asked that the expert community be included.
• China’s proposal asked for characteristics to be included that were so broad that it wouldn’t apply to most LAWS. For example, an “[i]mpossibility for termination.” 
• France’s proposal took a different approach than its colleagues by stating that a clear distinction should be made between “fully” and “partially” autonomous. While simultaneously banding together on a separate initiative with their European allies, (Finland, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Norway, Spain, and Sweden) to propose that fully autonomous weapons be banned altogether. 

The UN’s 2023 New Agenda for Peace called for a legally binding instrument to regulate LAWS by 2026.

Yet, the key to good lawmaking begins with a definition.

If the UN Security Council cannot agree to a uniform definition that is both broad enough to incorporate present and future AI and weapon technologies, as well as inclusive enough not to hinder a country’s ability to defend itself, it will be impossible to develop a regulatory instrument that’s inclusive of all outcomes.  

Even though there is no agreement on what LAWS are, one thing is clear, these legal discussions will continue on in the near future.

As you are reading this article, governments, militaries, and private companies are locked in a technological race akin to the space race of the 1950’s through the 1970’s.

Here are a few examples of developments that have occurred over the past year:

On February 27th, 2024 the US Navy pinned its first Robotics Warfare Specialist. This new position for enlisted, active-duty sailors highlights the future of warfighting as the Navy works towards building a hybrid fleet of manned and unmanned vessels. 

In August, 2023 US Department of Defense (DoD) announced an initiative titled “Replicator” to accelerate its development and expand the use of unmanned and autonomous weapons.  In the 18 – 24 months following the announcement, the DoD is expected to scale and field thousands of autonomous systems that span across a wide array of innovations such as AI, robotics, and commercial technology. The Replicator initiative will not only help make the US a leader in this new era of warfare, it will also continue to integrate emerging technologies from the private sector into the military. 

We highlight these developments not to foster fear, but to bring awareness on the technologies and programs the US military is highlighting. As alarm bells are being raised across the international community about regulating LAWS, a consensus must be formed on what they are, how they should be used, and what should the consequences be if they are used improperly or become uncontrolled.

Let’s be clear, whether we are talking about military or commercial use of AI, guardrails must be programmed into AI algorithms to ensure it operates as intended. When it comes to military use, the consequences can be extremely dire. 

In Sum: 

1. By relying on robotics, the Russia-Ukraine War brought on a new era of modern warfare. 
2. LAWS are complex military weapons designed to identify and cause death to targets with varying levels of human involvement.
3. While there are calls for an international regulation, there is no internationally recognized definition making it impossible to create good policy. 
4. By the US Navy creating a Robotics Warfare Specialist and the DoD Announcing Project Replicator, the US military is already making notable strides to utilize AI and LAWS in warfare.