Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems : att addera ett människorättsligt perspektiv

Lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS), as they are dependent on artificial intelligence (AI), do not yet exist. Nevertheless, their future compliance with International Humanitarian Law (IHL) is currently an issue requiring research and debate. Hitherto, less has been said regarding LAWS’ compliance with International Human Rights Law (IHRL). This report aims to shed light on these issues. Primarily based on analyzing four articles published between 2012 and 2013, the main question to be explored is In what way does the development of LAWS affect human rights? This question may be answered through two sub-questions. The first, What principles of Humanitarian Law are discussed in the debate? will be examined using a quantitative text analysis methodology. The second, How does the principles of Humanitarian Law relate to a Human Rights perspective? will be examined using a comparative methodology, relating to the use of a human rights perspective as theory. The analysis shows that the IHL principles of distinction and proportionality along with accountability are the main focus of the debate. It further concludes that, in comparison, the principles of IHL and IHRL are incompatible. If one wishes to uphold the importance of human rights, considering the potential future use of autonomy, the discussion needs to include a human rights perspective