Calls Are Growing For An International Ban On Killer Robots

Calls are growing for there to be an international ban on making and using killer robots.

At the moment, there are no strict rules about what countries are allowed to produce and that's making some campaigners worried.

Human Rights Watch has released a report stating nearly 100 countries have signalled a desire to put in place some regulations or an outright ban on the construction and use of autonomous weapons.

When you read killer robots, you're probably imagining the T-800 from Terminator or something similar, however autonomous weapons can be anything from a drone that can shoot missiles or a rover that can open fire at will.

Orion Pictures

Human Rights Watch warns if these types of machines are allowed to be made and used without regulation then they could pose a 'grave threat to humanity'.

"A legally binding instrument is the optimal framework for dealing with the many serious challenges raised by fully autonomous weapons," a press release said.

"A new international ban treaty could lay down explicit rules to ensure appropriate constraints on autonomy in weapons systems and resolve differing views on human control over the use of force.

"Most importantly, a new treaty would show that states are serious about responding appropriately and with urgency to this existential threat to humanity."

The organisation says there are loads of 'ethical, legal, operational, proliferation, moral, and technological concerns' in regards to these machines and more oversight is needed.

PA

Pressure is mounting on countries like China, Israel, Russia, South Korea, the United Kingdom, and the United States, who are the main players in the autonomous weapons game. Interestingly, China has called for a global ban on the use of the technologies, but not of their production or development.

Previous global meetings have acknowledged there should be at least some form of human involvement or direction when these machines are operational.

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres has also called the weapons 'morally repugnant and politically unacceptable'.

The Campaign To Stop Killer Robots has been running since 2013 and while there has been a growing number of countries sign up, the main players are still continuing their research and development into such technologies.

We've all seen Terminator and can probably all agree that that is not a society we want to have any time in the future.

Topics: News, Technology

Stewart Perrie

Stewart Perrie is a Trending Journalist at LADbible. His first job was as a newsreader and journalist at the award winning Sydney radio station, Macquarie Radio. He was solely responsible for the content broadcast on multiple stations across Australia when the MH17, Germanwings and AirAsia disasters unfolded. Stewart has covered the conflict in Syria for LADbible, interviewing a doctor on the front line, and has contributed to the hugely successful UOKM8 campaign.

@stewartperrie