States Reach Agreement at Autonomous Weapons Talks in Geneva
Member states of the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons have reached a non-binding agreement in Geneva to regulate autonomous weapons systems. While seen as a step toward future international rules, critics argue the final text was significantly diluted regarding definitions and civilian protections.
Why it matters
As autonomous weapons become more prevalent in global conflicts, this agreement marks the first major international consensus attempt to address the ethical and safety risks of 'killer robots'.
The 128 states party to a framework that regulates or bans weapons considered as indiscriminate, or causing too many injuries, agreed on a document on Saturday that could pave the way to international rules on autonomous weapons.
Agreement to the non-binding text marks a significant step after more than a decade of talks on how to regulate weapons systems that can identify and engage targets with varying degrees of autonomy, sometimes called "killer robots".
However, one rights group said the text definition of an autonomous weapon and the measures to reduce their possible harmful effects on civilians appeared to have been watered down.
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