The Utility of Weapons Reviews in Addressing Concerns Raised by Autonomous Weapon Systems

Abstract

The obligation to legally review weapons, means and methods of warfare has been identified by the Group of Governmental Experts on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems as one of its Guiding Principles. Despite calls to share practical measures and processes to undertake this review, national practice remains opaque and fragmented. This article describes the traditional weapons review process and explains why this process may need to be modified to adequately evaluate autonomous weapon systems (AWS). It uses three case studies of fictional AWS in various stages of development and acquisition to demonstrate how existing review processes can be adapted for the review of AWS. This article shows the utility of these reviews for ensuring compliance of AWS with existing legal requirements, thereby also demonstrating the suitability of existing law to regulate the use of this novel technology in warfare.