Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems

13 Nov 2017 - 17 Nov 2017

Geneva, Switzerland

The Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (CCW GGE) will meet on 13–17 November 2017, in Geneva, Switzerland.

The group was established following a decision taken in 2016 by the High Contracting Parties to the Convention on the Prohibitions or Restrictions on the Use of Certain Conventional Weapons Which May Be Deemed to Be Excessively Injurious or to Have Indiscriminate Effects (Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons – CCW), and is mandated to examine issues related to emerging technologies in the area of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) in the context of the objectives and purposes of the CCW. 

The group has an open-ended nature, and is open to all High Contracting Parties and non-State Parties to the CCW, international organisations, and non-governmental organisations. It is expected to submit a report to the 2017 Meeting of the High Contracting Parties to the Convention.

During the five-day meeting, the CCW GGE will focus on three main dimensions of emerging technologies in the area of LAWS:

  • technology (e.g. whether the technologies that could contribute to LAWS could be broadly characterised as artificial intelligence (AI)/autonomous systems; whether there is likely to be a shift from narrow AI to general AI; etc.);
  • military effects (e.g. whether LAWS could be accommodated under existig chains of military command and control); and
  • legal and ethical issues (e.g. where does legal accountability and liability reside for autonomous systems? what are the main features of national/regional laws planned or already in place for autonomous systems? etc.).

For more information, visit the group webpage.

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