What Role for International Law in Regulating AI-Enabled Autonomous Weapon Systems?

by Machiko Kanetake

The use of AI to facilitate autonomous military capabilities is described as a new frontier of transformative military technologies. One of the unique challenges attached to AI-enabled autonomous weapon systems (AWS) is their complexity, which reduces the space for explainability, and which could render the accountability of human decisionmakers superficial. In her talk, Machiko Kanetake informs the audience of what international legal frameworks are available to regulate the development and use of autonomous weapons, with a particular focus on the rules on targeting under international humanitarian law. In discussing such frameworks, special attention will be given to the role of the UN Convention on Conventional Weapons (CCW) and its group of governmental experts. The talk sheds light on achievement and shortfalls of the CCW as a venue to set international normative standards for the regulation of AWS.