Today is the first international meeting specifically on autonomous weapons at the United Nations in New York City! This meeting is taking place amid increasing expectation that states start the negotiation of new international law on autonomous weapons.

Technologies with concerning levels of autonomy are already being tested and used in contemporary conflicts and it will not stop there. Autonomous weapons will be used in policing, border control and more. Urgent political action is needed now to protect humanity and safeguard against automated violence and digital dehumanisation. We cannot allow autonomous weapons to target people. States need to take swift political action to negotiate a legal treaty on autonomous weapons systems to save lives and draw legal red lines against the automation of killing.

With diplomatic talks usually taking place in Geneva, this is the first time that all states will have a seat at the table and a critical step as all voices need to be heard if we are to create a treaty that truly addresses the impacts of killer robots.

With the help of students from the University of Ottawa’s Faculty of Engineering, robots were given a voice too! The engineering students took a "Battle Bot", designed for violence, and reimagined it for peaceful uses. The students re-programmed the robots for different purposes and reflected on the ethical issues that autonomous weapons pose, from the perspective of the robots themselves.