Russia and the US intend to block a plan to introduce binding rules on autonomous weapons with AI technology. The Guardian. A group of countries led by Russia and the US intends to use the UN conference in Geneva from November 16 to 20, attended by 128 countries, to block proposals to agree on a legally binding set of rules. The speed with which autonomous weapons are developed and used in war is widely recognized. The Geneva conference is seen as a key moment in which the world can decide whether to support a mandate to negotiate a legally binding instrument. "Countries have never been closer to reaching a global agreement on artificial intelligence weapons. Much of the hard work has already been done, and countries have agreed by consensus on the elements of the draft treaty, which will become the basis for the start of negotiations," said Anna Heyer, head of artificial intelligence management at the non-governmental Future of Life Institute. "But we are likely to see some countries hiding behind language that gives the appearance of progress, but actually calls for endless discussions on voluntary measures that have no real force. It is a smokescreen designed to keep autonomous weapons systems unregulated and to ensure that states are not responsible for their use." Discussions on the issue have been going on at the UN for almost three years, but Russia, the US and Israel, among others, oppose the review conference that established a timetable for the adoption of a binding legal document. Human rights activists from Human Rights Watch and Stop the Killer Robots argue that weapons systems using artificial intelligence exhibit unpredictable behavior, increasing the risk of fatal errors and combat operations beyond human control.

Russia and the US intend to block a plan to introduce binding rules on autonomous weapons with AI technology. The Guardian. A group of countries led by Russia and the US intends to use the UN conference in Geneva from November 16 to 20, attended by 128 countries, to block proposals to agree on a legally binding set of rules. The speed with which autonomous weapons are developed and used in war is widely recognized. The Geneva conference is seen as a key moment in which the world can decide whether to support a mandate to negotiate a legally binding instrument. "Countries have never been closer to reaching a global agreement on artificial intelligence weapons. Much of the hard work has already been done, and countries have agreed by consensus on the elements of the draft treaty, which will become the basis for the start of negotiations," said Anna Heyer, head of artificial intelligence management at the non-governmental Future of Life Institute. "But we are likely to see some countries hiding behind language that gives the appearance of progress, but actually calls for endless discussions on voluntary measures that have no real force. It is a smokescreen designed to keep autonomous weapons systems unregulated and to ensure that states are not responsible for their use." Discussions on the issue have been going on at the UN for almost three years, but Russia, the US and Israel, among others, oppose the review conference that established a timetable for the adoption of a binding legal document. Human rights activists from Human Rights Watch and Stop the Killer Robots argue that weapons systems using artificial intelligence exhibit unpredictable behavior, increasing the risk of fatal errors and combat operations beyond human control.