Autonomy, artificial intelligence and robotics: Technical aspects of human control

The ICRC has emphasized the need to maintain human control over weapon systems and the use of force, both for legal compliance and ethical acceptability. This approach has informed our analysis of the questions and concerns raised by autonomous weapon systems.

In June 2018, the ICRC convened a round-table meeting with independent experts in autonomy, AI and robotics to gain a better understanding of the technical aspects of human control, drawing on experience with civilian autonomous systems.

This report combines a summary of those discussions with additional research, and highlights the ICRC's main conclusions. Experience in the civilian sector yields insights that can inform current efforts to establish internationally agreed limits on autonomy in weapon systems.