U.S. and Russia Opposition Jeopardizes Autonomous Weapons Treaty Talks, Diplomats Report
Opposition from the United States and Russia is casting significant doubt on the outcome of international talks in Geneva aimed at establishing rules for autonomous weapons. Diplomats indicate that a consensus on a non-binding document, which could pave the way for negotiations on prohibitions and regulations for Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS), is unlikely to be reached. The 128 states party to the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) have been meeting to address growing concerns about the unpredictable behavior of semi-autonomous weapons, some assisted by artificial intelligence, in conflict zones. While there's general agreement that international humanitarian law applies to LAWS, specific binding international standards are virtually non-existent. Both the U.S. and Russia have proposed late changes and deletions to the draft text, with the U.S. favoring guidelines over a legally binding international treaty, arguing that existing international humanitarian law is sufficient. 
