U.S. Opposes a Ban on Autonomous Killer Robots Ahead of U.N. Weapons Summit

This clip is from the Dec. 6, 2021 broadcast.

Human rights activists and dozens of countries are calling for an all-out ban on the use of lethal autonomous weapons, also known as "killer robots" that can make the final order to kill without a human overseeing the process. The robots will be coming under review next week during high-level talks on the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. So far, the Biden administration has rejected calls to ban the weapons, instead proposing the establishment of a "code of conduct" for their use.

"This is not just a new weapon, it’s a new form of warfare," says Steve Goose, director of Human Rights Watch's arms division and co-founder of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, says. "The majority of countries want to see a legally binding instrument — a new treaty — that would have prohibitions and regulations on fully autonomous weapons."