Source: Lieber Institute West Point

This article reviews the current state of international law regarding AI in armed conflict, emphasizing that existing frameworks such as the UN Charter and international humanitarian law (IHL) apply to AI-enabled military systems. The UN General Assembly resolutions and the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (GGE LAWS) reaffirm the technological neutrality of international law and stress the need for human accountability and legal reviews.

The GGE LAWS is developing a draft instrument with a two-tier approach: banning autonomous weapons that cannot comply with IHL and regulating others with safeguards. The article also highlights the work of the Global Commission on Responsible AI in the Military Domain and the International Committee of the Red Cross’s position advocating bans on unpredictable autonomous weapons. The future may see binding treaties or hybrid regulatory approaches to ensure lawful and ethical AI use in warfare.