UN rights chief Volker Turk urged governments to adopt binding limits on autonomous weapons, arguing that people must control decisions to use force as states prepare for discussions next week, Anadolu Agency reported Friday.
The agency said Turk outlined three priorities in a video message shared on X: international limits for autonomous weapons, a ban on weapons that direct force against people, and human control over every use of force. He said that control should apply in armed conflict and law enforcement and urged governments to act quickly to protect lives.
Turk warned that machines must never decide “whether a human being survives or dies.” He called for an identifiable person to remain answerable for decisions and actions tied to the systems. He said violations should carry consequences for people responsible for a system’s design, deployment or operation.
Governments are expected to discuss lethal autonomous weapons next week, Anadolu Agency reported.
