LETHAL AUTONOMOUS WEAPONS SYSTEMS: PLAYING WITH FIRE?

It is important to acknowledge that non-state actors do not necessarily recognize, or adhere to, the Laws of Armed Conflict (LoAC). Consequently, it becomes crucial to establish strict  regulations regarding the development and proliferation of Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS). Such regulations should go beyond mere statutes and actively address the need to ensure the responsible use of LAWS and prevent their misuse by unauthorized actors, argues GIRISH LINGANNA.

- GIRISH LINGANNA.

In early January 1942, the United States of America initiated Project X-Ray, a unique endeavour aimed at utilizing the Mexican Bat, a species found in the southwestern region of the country, as a retaliatory weapon in response to the attack on Pearl Harbour by the Japanese. The strategy involved attaching incendiary bombs onto the bodies of bats and releasing them from cluster containers which were specially produced to open only at an altitude of 1,000 feet or more.

Once released, these armed bats would seek shelter in buildings predominantly constructed from flammable materials such as wood. The incendiaries would detonate upon roosting, resulting in widespread fires.

Although the project was eventually abandoned due to the ongoing development of the Atomic Bomb, Project X-Ray serves as an exceptional illustration of efforts to employ cost-effective, lethal and autonomous weapons in modern warfare.

In November 2017, the Future of Life Institute, a US-based non-profit organization, released a YouTube video highlighting the existential risks associated with 'Slaughterbots' miniature autonomous drones equipped with Artificial Intelligence (AI) capabilities to carry out targeted antipersonnel strikes. The video emphasised the alarming potential of these lethal machines, surpassing the destructive power of nuclear weapons and predicted their utilization by both state and nonstate actors to achieve national, political, or ideological objectives through mass extermination. This portrayal shed light on the urgency of addressing the development and deployment of autonomous weapons.