Expert Consultation report – Artificial intelligence and Related Technologies in Military Decision-Making on the Use of Force in Armed conflicts: Current Developments and Potential Implications

During the past decade, there has been a significant focus on autonomous weapon systems (AWS) in legal and policy discussions on the application of artificial intelligence (AI) in the military domain. In recent years, however, awareness has been increasing of the fact that the military applications of AI are much broader.

Against the backdrop of these discussions and debates about the opportunities and risks of using AI for military purposes, the ICRC and the Swiss Chair of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) at the Geneva Academy of International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights held two online expert workshops in November 2022, with the aim of increasing our understanding of the role of military applications of AI-based decision support systems (AI DSS) in decision-making on the use of force in armed conflicts – including, but not limited to, the specific decision tasks of target selection and the application of force.