Comment by Holy See

Autonomous Weapon Systems, which are capable of identifying and attacking targets without direct human intervention, are a “cause for grave ethical concern” because they lack the “unique human capacity for moral judgment and ethical decision-making.” Without adequate, meaningful and consistent human control, the weaponization of AI could also become highly problematic and pose an existential risk. For these reasons, the Holy See has called for a reconsideration of the development of these weapons and a ban on their use, because “no machine should ever choose to take the life of a human being.” […] Given the rapid pace of technological advancements and the massive investment and research into weaponizing artificial intelligence, it is of the utmost urgency that this GGE delivers concrete results in the form of a robust, legally binding instrument and, in the meantime, establish an immediate moratorium on their development and use.