Hate to say it but ...

Hate to say it but BRT has waxed poetic about the dangers of autonomous weapons for years as shit happens, paticularly when AI is combined with tech able to kill 24/7. Seems other parties have discussed this topic as well, which puts BRT in pretty good company IMHO.

Robotic weapons that once activated can select and attack targets without any further human intervention are being developed by the United States, China, Russia, the United Kingdom, South Korea and Israel. Often listed as part of the ‘third revolution’ in warfare, after conventional weapons and nuclear weapons, lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) will be unpredictable on the battlefield.

As a result they will be able to target civilians and other protected people in violation of international humanitarian law. Even if they are used in law enforcement situations or during peace time, it is unlikely that they will comply with international human rights law. More importantly, if these weapons violate these important laws, there will be an accountability or responsibility gap.

More than 70 countries gathered in Geneva this month for the United Nations Group of Governmental Experts (UN GGE) to discuss the imminent threat posed by these weapons. Twenty nine states, the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, scholars and many tech workers have called for their ban.

It gets better.

A UN report says a drone, operating without human control, attacked people in Libya. International efforts to restrict such weapons have so far failed. 

“The technology is developing much faster than the military-political discussion. And we’re heading, by default, to the worst possible outcome.”

Max Tegmark, MIT Professor & Cofounder, The Future of Life Institute

The issue became more pressing this year, after the UN report, which said a Turkish-made drone known as Kargu-2 was used in Libya’s civil war in 2020. Forces aligned with the Government of National Accord reportedly launched drones against troops supporting Libyan National Army leader General Khalifa Haftar that targeted and attacked people independently.

As stated before ... shit happens ...

Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons

Statement of the ICRC, read at the Meeting of Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, held in Geneva from 11-16 April.