UN rights chief urges states to agree on binding rules for autonomous weapons

UN High Commissioner for Human Rights Volker Turk on Friday urged states to urgently agree on binding international rules governing autonomous weapons, warning that machines must never decide “whether a human being survives or dies.”

In a video message shared on US social media platform X, Turk outlined three priorities for governments ahead of discussions on lethal autonomous weapons next week.

“First, urgently agree on binding international rules to regulate autonomous weapons and protect lives before it is too late,” he said.

He also called for a ban on autonomous weapons that “target people by design or in practice,” describing machine-led decisions over human life as “the ultimate indignity” and “a red line we must never cross.”

“Third, keep humans in control,” Turk said, stressing that human judgment must guide every use of force, including in armed conflict and law enforcement.

He added that decisions and actions must be traceable to a human being and that accountability for violations must rest with those who designed, deployed or used the systems.