ABSTRACT
The increasing use of artificial intelligence techniques in the military raises multiple questions, related not only to the ability of Autonomous Weapon Systems (AWS) to operate within the rules that international law provides for the use of force, but also to issues of international responsibility. In the event that, on the battlefield, AWS (e.g., a drone equipped with systems to select and engage targets without the need for human intervention) are directed to employ force, even lethal force, against an impermissible target (e.g., an unarmed civilian), who is to be held responsible? Numerous authors have begun to speak of possible ‘responsibility gaps’. This chapter addresses the issue of the international responsibility of the State and its alleged limitations in regulating AWS.
