Artificial intelligence-supported autonomous weapons can cause tragic consequences without human control

Peter Asaro, Chairman of the Stop Killer Robots Campaign, said that in the attack on the primary school in Minab, the failure of human control of the target lists created by the US army with artificial intelligence led to the death of more than 150 children.

"The World Without a Center: Who Leads When the Rules Are Invalid?" on 6-7 November in Istanbul. TRT World Forum, organized with the theme, witnessed the rise of artificial intelligence in military technologies and the serious risks it poses. Making evaluations within the framework of the forum, Stop Killer Robots Campaign President Peter Asaro demonstrated with concrete examples the fatal consequences of autonomous warfare systems that do not have human control in the decision-making mechanism. Asaro underlined that machine learning-based target determination processes in military operations must be passed through a human filter.

Lack of Human Review of Target Lists and the Minab Tragedy

Emphasizing that blind application of the data produced by artificial intelligence could lead to disaster, Peter Asaro cited the attack on a primary school in Minab, Iran, as an example. Stating that the target lists created by the US army through algorithms were not verified by a human auditor, Asaro stated that more than 150 children lost their lives due to the failure to implement this critical protocol. Pointing out that autonomous decision makers have a limited ability to distinguish the dynamics on the field, the expert pointed out that converting algorithms into direct fire orders leads to unacceptable civilian losses.

Legal Liability Framework and the Need for International Regulation

Drawing attention to the legal gaps that arise in deaths caused by artificial intelligence, Asaro stated that the legal process varies depending on the civilian or military context of the incident. Stating that commercial law, product liability and relevant domestic legislation come into play if a robot or software causes death in civilian life, Asaro stated that the situation is much more complicated in the battlefield. Reminding that international humanitarian law and the Geneva Conventions are taken as basis in armed conflicts, the expert emphasized that binding global standards for autonomous weapon technologies should be put into effect without delay in order to prevent violations arising from the use of force by states.