NATO Grapples with AI Autonomy: Alliance Lacks Common Policy on Machine-Speed Lethal Actions
NATO has made significant strides in developing the technical infrastructure for autonomous systems across its member states, achieving interoperability where allied machines can operate as one. However, a critical challenge remains unresolved: the lack of a common policy regarding the authority for lethal actions executed by autonomous systems at machine speed. When two allies, operating the same autonomous kill chain, possess different national thresholds for permitting a lethal action, it is unclear whose threshold governs and who is accountable in cases of disagreement. This issue is not hypothetical, as the divergence in policies is evident; for instance, Germany's 2021 coalition agreement rejects lethal autonomous weapon systems without full human control, while the United States' Department of Defense Directive 3000.09 permits such systems with 'appropriate levels of human judgment.' The alliance currently standardizes the machines but not the authority, meaning that while systems can exchange data,... 
