Stopping Killer Robots: RightsCon presentation

Human Rights Commissioner Lorraine Finlay is calling for bans on lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) - weapons that use artificial intelligence and facial recognition technology to select and attack targets.

Commissioner Finlay will present ‘Stopping Killer Robots – prohibiting the use of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS)’ at RightsCon Costa Rica.

The Commissioner says there is an urgent need to legislate, as LAWS are not currently specifically regulated by international humanitarian law. “The fast development of this technology has meant that there are insufficient checks and balances in place to prevent their misuse. There are even reports that LAWS have been used in combat as early as March 2021 and in the war between Russia and Ukraine.”

There are significant problems with the underlying technologies, including technical inaccuracy of facial recognition technology in identifying women and people from minority racism groups. There are concerns about how easily LAWS could trigger an arms race or fuel domestic terrorism. The technology also violates common principles of warfare.

Learn more by tuning into ‘Stopping Killer Robots – prohibiting the use of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS)’ at 6.15pm on Wednesday 7 June (AEST). Register for the online presentation.