Killer Robots

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class="limiter clear-block"> <div id="section-title"> <a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/topic/arms/killer-robots" title="Killer Robots" class="active">Killer Robots</a> </div> <div class="subnav"><ul class="links"> <li class="first"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/news-filter/7913">News Releases</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/publications/7913">Reports</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/commentaries/7913">Commentaries</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/multimedia/7913">Multimedia</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/experts/7913">Experts</a></li> <li class="last"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/rss/taxonomy/7913">RSS</a></li> </ul></div> </div> </div> <div id="page"> <div class="limiter clear-block"> <div class="sidebar sidebar-right"> <div 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href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513013003/http://www.stopkillerrobots.org/"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513013003im_/http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/media/images/copy/StopKillerRobots-Logo.jpg" width="322" height="106" class="imagefield imagefield-field_copy_image"/></a></span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-body"> <div class="field-content"><iframe width="322" height="181" src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513013003if_/https://www.youtube.com/embed/AlRIcZRoLq8?autohide=1&cc_load_policy=1&wmode=transparent&;showinfo=1" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="main" class="clear-block"> <div id="content" class="clear-block"> <div class="panel-display panel-1col clear-block" id="taxonomy"> <div class="panel-panel panel-col"> <div><div class="panel-pane pane-views-panes pane-taxonomy-landing-page-panel-pane-3 pane-taxonomy-updatable-box"> <div class="pane-content"> <div class="view view-taxonomy-landing-page view-id-taxonomy_landing_page view-display-id-panel_pane_3 view-taxonomy-updatable-box view-dom-id-1"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/node/111617">Killer Robots</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-body"> <div class="field-content"><p>Fully autonomous weapons, also known as "killer robots," would be able to select and engage targets without human intervention. Fully autonomous weapons do not exist yet, but they are being developed by several countries and precursors to fully autonomous weapons have already been deployed by high-tech militaries. Some experts predict that fully autonomous weapons could be operational in 20 to 30 years. These weapons would be incapable of meeting international humanitarian law standards, including the rules of distinction, proportionality, and military necessity. The weapons would not be constrained by the capacity for compassion, which can provide a key check on the killing of civilians. Fully autonomous weapons also raise serious questions of accountability because it is unclear who should be held responsible for any unlawful actions they commit. Human Rights Watch calls for a preemptive prohibition on fully autonomous weapons.</p></div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="panel-region-separator"></div><div class="panel-pane pane-views-panes pane-taxonomy-landing-page-panel-pane-1 pane-taxonomy-feature-page"> <div class="pane-content"> <div class="view view-taxonomy-landing-page view-id-taxonomy_landing_page view-display-id-panel_pane_1 view-taxonomy-feature-page view-dom-id-4"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/19/ban-killer-robots-it-s-too-late"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513013003im_/http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/crop-300x200/media/images/photographs/2012_Arms_taranis.jpg" class="imagecache imagecache-crop-300x200 imagecache-default imagecache-crop-300x200_default"/></a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-image-caption-value"> <div class="field-content">The United Kingdom’s Taranis combat aircraft, whose prototype was unveiled in 2010, is designed to strike distant targets, “even in another continent.” While the Ministry of Defence has stated that humans will remain in the loop, the Taranis exemplifies the move toward increased autonomy.</div> </div> <div class="views-field-field-copyright-value"> <span class="field-content">© 2010 AP Photo</span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/19/ban-killer-robots-it-s-too-late">Ban ‘Killer Robots’ Before It’s Too Late</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content"><p>Governments should pre-emptively ban fully autonomous weapons because of the danger they pose to civilians in armed conflict.</p></div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="attachment attachment-before"> <div class="view view-taxonomy-landing-page view-id-taxonomy_landing_page view-display-id-attachment_1 view-dom-id-2"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/23/arms-new-campaign-stop-killer-robots">Arms: New Campaign to Stop Killer Robots</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Apr 23, 2013</span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/16/us-ban-fully-autonomous-weapons">US: Ban Fully Autonomous Weapons</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Apr 16, 2013</span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/22/dangerous-future-killer-robots">A Dangerous Future of Killer Robots</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Nov 22, 2012</span> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/20/future-global-warfare-killer-robots">The Future of Global Warfare: Killer Robots</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Nov 20, 2012</span> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="view-footer"> <a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/news-filter/7913">More news »</a> </div> <div class="attachment attachment-after"> <div class="view view-taxonomy-landing-page view-id-taxonomy_landing_page view-display-id-attachment_2 view-dom-id-3"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"></li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="feed-icon"> <a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/rss/taxonomy/7913" class="feed-icon">Subscribe to content feed</a><img src="/web/20130513013003im_/http://www.hrw.org/misc/feed.png" width="16" height="16"/> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="panel-region-separator"></div><div class="panel-pane pane-views-panes pane-taxonomy-landing-page-panel-pane-2 pane-taxonomy-reports"> <h2 class="pane-title">Reports</h2> <div class="pane-content"> <div class="view view-taxonomy-landing-page view-id-taxonomy_landing_page view-display-id-panel_pane_2 view-taxonomy-reports view-dom-id-6"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/reports/2012/11/19/losing-humanity-0">Losing Humanity</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-reportsynopsis-subtitle-value"> <span class="field-content">The Case against Killer Robots</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-reportsynopsis-cover-fid"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/reports/2012/11/19/losing-humanity-0" class="imagecache imagecache-scale-crop-200w-133h imagecache-linked imagecache-scale-crop-200w-133h_linked"><img src="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513013003im_/http://www.hrw.org/sites/default/files/imagecache/scale-crop-200w-133h/media/images/report-covers/arms1112_reportcover_3.jpg" class="imagecache imagecache-scale-crop-200w-133h"/></a></span> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> <div class="view-footer"> <a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/by-issue/publications/7913">More >></a> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div class="panel-region-separator"></div><div class="panel-pane pane-views-panes pane-taxonomy-landing-page-panel-pane-4 pane-taxonomy-news-listing"> <h2 class="pane-title">Killer Robots</h2> <div class="pane-content"> <div class="view view-taxonomy-landing-page view-id-taxonomy_landing_page view-display-id-panel_pane_4 view-taxonomy-news-listings view-dom-id-7"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="item-list"> <ul> <li class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/23/arms-new-campaign-stop-killer-robots">Arms: New Campaign to Stop Killer Robots</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Apr 23, 2013</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content"><p>Civil society will lead the way to press governments to ban fully autonomous weapons</p></div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-2 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/16/us-ban-fully-autonomous-weapons">US: Ban Fully Autonomous Weapons</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Apr 16, 2013</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content"><p><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: AR-SA; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"><font color="#000000">Temporary US restrictions on lethal fully autonomous weapons should be strengthened and made permanent. </font></span></p></div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-3 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news/2013/04/15/review-2012-us-policy-autonomy-weapons-systems">Review of the 2012 US Policy on Autonomy in Weapons Systems</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Apr 15, 2013</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content"><p><span style="line-height: 110%; font-family: "MetaPro-Norm","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: SimSun; mso-bidi-font-family: SeriaArabic; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-language: ZH-CN; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA;"><font color="#000000">On November 21, 2012, the US Department of Defense issued its first public policy on autonomy in weapons systems. Directive Number 3000.09 (the Directive) lays out guidelines for the development and use of autonomous and semi-autonomous weapon systems by the Department of Defense.</font></span></p></div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-4 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/22/dangerous-future-killer-robots">A Dangerous Future of Killer Robots</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Nov 22, 2012</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content"><p>The use of <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513013003/http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/us-drone-war-demands-accountability/2012/11/01/56627964-2380-11e2-8448-81b1ce7d6978_story.html"><u>drones to kill suspected terrorists</u></a> is <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513013003/http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/eugene-robinson-the-emerging-drone-culture/2012/08/02/gJQARYbtSX_story.html"><u>controversial</u></a>, but so long as a human being decides whether to fire the missile, it is not a radical shift in how humanity wages war. Since the first archer fired the first arrow, warriors have been inventing ways to strike their enemies while removing themselves from harm’s way.</p></div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-5 views-row-odd"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/20/future-global-warfare-killer-robots">The Future of Global Warfare: Killer Robots</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Nov 20, 2012</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content"><p><span style="line-height: 115%; font-family: "Calibri","sans-serif"; font-size: 11pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Despite a lack of public awareness and public debate a number of governments, including European states, are pushing forward with the development of fully autonomous weapons - also known as killer robots. These are weapon systems that will function without any human intervention. </span></p> <p> </p></div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-6 views-row-even"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/19/trouble-killer-robots">The Trouble with Killer Robots</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Nov 19, 2012</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content"><p>Imagine a mother who sees her children playing with toy guns as a military force approaches their village<strong>. </strong>Terrified, she sprints toward the scene, yelling at them to hurry home. A human soldier would recognize her fear and realize that her actions are harmless. A robot, unable to understand human intentions, would observe only figures, guns, and rapid movement. While the human soldier would probably hold fire, the robot might shoot the woman and her children.</p></div> </div> </li> <li class="views-row views-row-7 views-row-odd views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-field-imagefile-fid"> <span class="field-content"></span> </div> <div class="views-field-title"> <span class="field-content"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news/2012/11/19/ban-killer-robots-it-s-too-late">Ban ‘Killer Robots’ Before It’s Too Late</a></span> </div> <div class="views-field-created"> <span class="field-content">Nov 19, 2012</span> </div> <div class="views-field-field-news-teaser-value"> <div class="field-content"><p>Governments should pre-emptively ban fully autonomous weapons because of the danger they pose to civilians in armed conflict.</p></div> </div> </li> </ul> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="footer"> <div class="limiter clear-block"> <div class="clear-block"><a href="#header" class="back-to-top">Back to top</a></div> <div class="nav"> <a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/rss" class="rss-link">RSS</a> <div class="pipe-links"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/home">Home</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/our-work">Our Work</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/news">News</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/publications">Publications</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/multimedia">Multimedia</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/about">About Us</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/contact-us">Contact Us</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513013003/http://ff.hrw.org/">Film Festival</a> <span class="pipe">|</span> <a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513013003/https://secure.hrw.org/site/c.nlIWIgN2JwE/b.8585041/k.3E50/Donate_to_Defend_Human_RIghts/apps/ka/sd/donorcustom.asp?msource=n">Donate</a></div> </div> <div class="footer-blocks clear-block"> <div id="block-views-hrw_footer-block_1" class="clear-block block block-views"> <div class="bcontent"><div class="view view-hrw-footer view-id-hrw_footer view-display-id-block_1 view-dom-id-9"> <div class="view-content"> <div class="views-row views-row-1 views-row-odd views-row-first views-row-last"> <div class="views-field-body"> <div class="field-content">Human Rights Watch<br/> 350 Fifth Avenue, 34th Floor<br/> New York, NY 10118-3299<br/> USA<br/> Tel: 1-(212) 290-4700<br/> <br/> <strong><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/en/contact-us">Contact Us - Global Offices</a></strong><br/> <strong><a href="https://web.archive.org/web/20130513013003/http://ff.hrw.org/">Film Festival</a></strong><br/> <strong><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/en/about/jobs">Employment</a></strong></div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> </div> <div id="block-tic-5" class="clear-block block block-tic"> <div class="bcontent"><div class="col-left clear-block"><strong class="vocab-header"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/regions">Browse by Region</a></strong><div class="item-list"><ul><li class="first first"><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/africa">Africa</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/americas">Americas</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/asia">Asia</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/europe/central-asia">Europe/Central Asia</a></li> <li class=""><a href="/web/20130513013003/http://www.hrw.org/middle-east/n-africa">Middle East/N. 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