UN and Red Cross call for urgent negotiations to restrict use of autonomous weapons

States meet in Geneva next week amid mounting concerns over the role of AI-assisted semi-autonomous weapons that have been used in conflicts

Amid unconfirmed reports that fully autonomous and AI-guided drones are now being used on the battlefield, UN chief António Guterres and the President of the Red Cross on Tuesday renewed their urgent call for stricter global controls, before it is too late.

The United Nations and Red Cross have warned that the world is "dangerously close" to a future where autonomous weapons could target humans, and issued an urgent appeal for international regulations.

'We are now dangerously close to crossing a moral red line: the autonomous targeting of humans by machines,' part of a joint statement by the United Nations and the Red Cross reads

"We are now dangerously close to crossing a moral red line: the autonomous targeting of humans by machines," the Red Cross and UN said in a joint statement.

GENEVA, Aug 25 - The head of the Red Cross and the United Nations on Tuesday warned that autonomous weapons that can kill people without human involvement could soon be used in conflicts and called for urgent negotiations to restrict their use.

UN and Red Cross call for urgent rules on autonomous weapons  Reuters