Autonomous weapon

A weapon system that, once activated, can select and engage targets without further human intervention. Its defining feature is autonomy in those target-selection and engagement functions.

Autonomous targeting: The use of computational systems to identify and select targets without direct human selection. It is the decision function that lets a weapon choose targets after activation.
Artificial intelligence: The field concerned with building machines that perform tasks associated with intelligent behavior. AI can support autonomous functions, but autonomy does not require every form of AI.
Remotely piloted aircraft: Aircraft controlled by a human pilot from a location outside the aircraft. Remote piloting keeps a human responsible for selecting and engaging targets.
International humanitarian law: The body of international law governing conduct during armed conflict and protecting people affected by war. Its rules on distinction, proportionality, and precautions frame assessments of autonomous attacks.
Lethal autonomous weapons systems: Weapon systems that can select and engage human targets without human intervention. This contested category focuses debate on autonomy in decisions to use lethal force.
Computer vision: Methods that enable computers to extract information from images and video. Image-processing systems can help autonomous weapons detect and classify potential targets.
Automation: The use of systems to perform tasks with reduced human effort or control. Automation may follow fixed rules, while weapon autonomy includes selecting and engaging targets.
Loitering munition: A weapon that can remain airborne while searching for a target before striking it. Some loitering munitions include autonomous target-selection functions, though capability varies by system.
Meaningful human control: A proposed standard requiring human judgment and oversight over decisions to use force. It is a central policy proposal for limiting autonomy in lethal decisions.
Autonomy in weapons systems: The capacity of a weapon system to perform functions without human intervention after activation. Definitions of autonomy determine which systems fall within proposed rules.

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