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Lethal AI weapons are here: how can we control them?

Autonomous weapons guided by artificial intelligence are already in use. Researchers, legal experts and ethicists are struggling with what should be allowed on the battlefield.
  1. David Adam

    1. David Adam is a writer in Hertford, near London.

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A Ukranian solder attaching a hand grenade to a shoebox-sized drone with four propellers

In the Donbas region of Ukraine, a Ukrainian soldier prepares a drone to carry a hand grenade for an attack in March 2023. Credit: Aris Messinis/AFP/Getty

In the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, video footage has shown drones penetrating deep into Russian territory, more than 1,000 kilometres from the border, and destroying oil and gas infrastructure. It’s likely, experts say, that artificial intelligence (AI) is helping to direct the drones to their targets. For such weapons, no person needs to hold the trigger or make the final decision to detonate.

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Nature 629, 521-523 (2024)

doi: https://doi.org/10.1038/d41586-024-01029-0

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