U.S. and Russia dilute UN draft treaty on lethal autonomous weapons

Negotiators gathered in a UN conference room in Switzerland to craft the first binding treaty on lethal autonomous weapons, but the final draft was heavily altered by the United States and Russia. Over roughly fifteen hours, each side sent about ten lawyers—almost double the size of other delegations—to delete clauses that would mandate predictable, reliable operation and require human verification of AI-generated targets.

Language linking weapon use to ethical standards was also removed. Observers described the process as “death by a thousand paper cuts,” leaving smaller delegations bewildered. Human Rights Watch’s Verity Coyle warned that the diluted rules could enable machines to make life-and-death decisions without accountability. The episode underscores how the two nations can block multilateral efforts to curb the rapid militarization of AI technology.