--- title: "Scientists Call for a Ban on AI-Controlled Killer Robots" description: "A group of experts are calling for a ban on the development of AI-controlled weapons that could one day make the final decision to take a life." date: "2019-02-16" modified: "2019-02-16" authors: - name: "Victor Tangermann" job_title: "Senior Editor" link: "https://futurism.com/authors/victor" url: "https://futurism.com/scientists-ban-ai-killer-robots" categories: - "Robotics" - "Robots and Machines" tags: - "ai" - "artificial intelligence" - "drones" - "killer robots" --- # Scientists Call for a Ban on AI-Controlled Killer Robots ![]() *\Image: U.S. Navy/Victor Tangermann\* ## Killer Robots Killer robots are coming for us all. But rather than a T-1000 spewing one-liners, autonomous weapon systems like drones could end up replacing human soldiers on the battlefield entirely, given enough time. But is it ethical to have an artificial intelligence call the shots and decide to take a human life? ## Autonomous Weapons Experts convening at the American Association for the Advancement of Science meeting in Washington DC this week had a clear answer: a resounding no. The group of experts — including ethics professors and human rights advocates — are calling for a ban on the development of AI-controlled weapons, as the [*BBC* reports](). "We are not talking about walking, talking terminator robots that are about to take over the world; what we are concerned about is much more imminent: conventional weapons systems with autonomy," Human Right's Watch advocacy director Mary Wareham told the *BBC*. ## Watching Human Rights Another big question that arises: who is responsible when a machine does decide to take a human life? Is it the person who made the machine? "The delegation of authority to kill to a machine is not justified and a violation of human rights because machines are not moral agents and so cannot be responsible for making decisions of life and death," associate professor from the New School in New York Peter Asaro told the *BBC*. But not everybody is on board to fully denounce the use of AI-controlled weapon systems. The U.S. and Russia were among several countries that [opposed an outright ban]() on autonomous weapons following a week of talks in Geneva in September. **READ MORE:** [Call to ban killer robots in wars]() \[*BBC*\] ***More on killer robots: [The UK Is Developing Autonomous Killer Robots]()*** ## Author I've been at Futurism since 2017, where my role has evolved to encompass design, writing, and increasingly editing. I've always been fascinated by space exploration and advanced transportation, which I've leaned into by interviewing luminaries in those fields while closely following the dimensions of policy and regulation that allow next-generation projects to succeed -- or, sometimes, to fail. I'm also keenly interested in the effects of generative AI on society, policies, and democratic institutions, as well as clean energy, physics and biology, and the vagaries of tech leadership. My work for Futurism has been cited by publications including Ars Technica, Gizmodo, PC Magazine, Jalopnik, Fox News, and the New York Post. I spent my childhood living in locations including Manila, the Philippines, and Geneva, Switzerland, attended McGill University, and now live in Toronto, Canada. Before Futurism I worked at AskMen and a small photography studio. In my free time, I'm an avid gardener, foodie, and craft beer lover, as well as a maker of artisanal hot pepper sauces. I have a magnificent dog named Freida. ### Author social links [Bluesky]()