Amnesty International, a London-based NGO that advocates for human rights, has called on the international community to ban fully autonomous weapons systems, commonly known as "killer robots."
The statement came at a UN-hosted high-profile meeting of experts from dozens of countries, which kicked off in Geneva on Monday to discuss ways to define and legally regulate "killer robots."
"Killer robots are no longer the stuff of science fiction. From artificially intelligent drones to automated guns that can choose their own targets, technological advances in weaponry are far outpacing international law. We are sliding towards a future where humans could be erased from decision-making around the use of force," said Amnesty artificial intelligence researcher Rasha Abdul Rahim.
Last year, over a hundred artificial intelligence experts, led by Tesla founder Elon Musk, called on the United Nations to ban automated deadly weapon systems in an open letter. "We do not have long to act. Once this Pandora's box is opened, it will be hard to close," they said.