International laws in transition: does the era of the killer robots threaten us?

International laws in transition: does the era of the killer robots threaten us?

Keine Adresse oder Ort des Vorfalls angegeben. - Technological development is urging the international community to act. At a time when Emerging and Disruptive Technologies (EDTS) such as artificial intelligence (AI) and autonomous weapon systems change the geopolitical landscape rapidly, the call for a robust legal framework is getting louder. According to Modern Diplomacy , the challenges are huge: traditional international law often has difficulty keeping up with the speed of technological development.

The reactivity of the right is a big problem. In the past, regulations were often only enacted after the emergence of disruptive technologies, such as the cyber standards, which were formulated in response to increasing state-funded cyber attacks. The need for proactive legislation is becoming increasingly noticeable, especially in the dual use of EDTs, which can be used both militarily and civil. This use raises questions about regulation, especially in an environment in which numerous technologies are mainly developed by private companies.

The debate about autonomous weapon systems

One of the most pressing topics in this discussion are the so -called Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS). As the Unoda are currently not generally accepted, but they are finding its way into military strategies worldwide. While some of the rudimentary systems have existed for decades, recent technologies such as Loitering ammunitions or rocket defense systems show the considerable progress.

A major dispute is the regulatory debate, which takes place as part of the UN Convention on Certain conventional weapons (CCW). The discussion about the legal and ethical aspects of LAWs was initiated in 2016, and over the years, various state actors have thought about leading principles. Nevertheless, the progress in the creation of binding norms remains slow. The Slovenian reporter of UN Secretary General António Guterres has repeatedly expressed that political and moral concerns about Laws justify a legally binding ban.

global challenges and national reactions

While countries such as Brazil and Austria are calling for a preventive ban on “killer robots”, the United States and Russia are rather non-binding guidelines. These different approaches lead to worrying fragmentation in the normative and regulatory debates. Due to various resolutions, the UN calls for regulation and a ban on Laws by 2026, including the resolution, which Austria introduced to the UN General Assembly in December 2023 and which was supported by more than 40 countries.

Various civil society organizations have also positioned themselves on the international parquet. Groups such as Stop Killer Robots and the International Committee of the Red Cross criticize the slow progress in these negotiations and warn of the social and ethical consequences of autonomous weapons systems.

back to the basics

The central question remains: How can the international community react to the challenges? The current state requires a dynamic, integrative and principal -based approach in order to optimally design the benefits of technological advances. Standards and code of conduct could be a practical intermediate step solution here, since they are less formal, but can still provide guidelines for dealing with these complex technologies.

The creeping feeling of urgency is reinforced by slow progress within the international committees. In view of the challenges caused by the increasing number of autonomous systems, it is clear: time is pushing, and a clear legal basis must be found quickly. Otherwise, the progress of the technology to endanger basic human rights could become.