April 18, 2018
China’s Strategic Ambiguity and Shifting Approach to Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems
On April 13, China’s delegation to United Nations Group of Governmental Experts on lethal autonomous weapons systemsannounced the “desire to negotiate and conclude” a new protocol for the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons “to ban the use of fully autonomous lethal weapons systems.” According to the aptly named Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, the delegation “stressed that [the ban] is limited to use only.” The same day, the Chinese air force released details on an upcoming challenge intended to evaluate advances in fully autonomous swarms of drones, which will also explore new concepts for future intelligent-swarm combat.
The juxtaposition of these announcements illustrates China’s apparent diplomatic commitment to limit the use of “fully autonomous lethal weapons systems” is unlikely to stop Beijing from building its own.
Read the full article at Lawfare
More from CNAS
-
Reports
Technology & National Security
Prepared, Not ParalyzedExecutive Summary The Trump administration has embraced a pro-innovation approach to artificial intelligence (AI) policy. Its AI Action Plan, released July 2025, underscores t...
By Janet Egan, Spencer Michaels & Caleb Withers
-
Commentary
Indo-Pacific Security / Technology & National Security
Sharper: Tech + ChinaRecent talks between President Donald Trump and Chinese Communist Party General Secretary Xi Jinping placed a spotlight on emerging technologies, from high-end chips to minera...
By Charles Horn & Sevi Silvia
-
Commentary
Indo-Pacific Security / Technology & National Security
CNAS Insights | The Cost of Silence on China’s Cyber AggressionJust weeks before the much anticipated meeting between President Donald Trump and General Secretary Xi Jinping, the United States discovered yet another major China-backed cyb...
By Morgan Peirce
-
Video
Defense / Technology & National Security
What to Expect from Military AI in 2030As the US military races to harness artificial intelligence, experts say the biggest AI breakthroughs may not come from “killer robots” or autonomous war machines, but from al...
By Josh Wallin
