• autonomous weapons
• artificial intelligence
• warfare

Lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) are artificial intelligence (AI)-empowered weapons that can track, identify and engage a target without human control. They offer numerous military opportunities and are likely to provide a decisive advantage on the battlefield. Therefore, a race to autonomous weaponry has been underway for several years. However, entrusting a lethal decision to a non-human operator raises serious ethical and legal questions. Consequently, civil society has launched a global campaign to Stop Killer Robots and States are trying to regulate the use of AI-enabled weapons within the United Nations. However, the technology enabling the development of these weapons, AI, is notably coming from private tech companies and is becoming too diffuse to be regulated. Thus, LAWSs are part of the changing international relations where private companies are taking more and more power at the expense of the State and where technological power is challenging the hierarchy of powers on the world stage. In this context, the US is trying to maintain its hyperpower status in the face of China, which is betting massively on AI to develop its power, while Russia is also relying on the robotization of the battlefield and Europe is seeking to unite to conquer its strategic autonomy. Moreover, the duality of technology offers middle powers the opportunity to develop powerful weapons while non-state actors also benefit from easy access to AI algorithms allowing them to empower their armed drones.