Lethal Autonomous Weapons: Means of Defense and Attack

Abstract

The deployment and use of lethal autonomous weapons (LAW) systems with self-determination in their critical functions can have an impact on international security by initiating a new arms race, promoting the escalation of unpremeditated violence, and lowering the threshold for the legitimate use of force for decision-makers. In this regard, this article identifies some of the military applications assigned or potentially assignable to LAWs and analyzes the challenges for their use in twenty-first century conflicts.