'Killer robots' pose threat to basic human rights, say activists

Thanks to advanced engineering, technology and artificial intelligence, drones could be capable of operating and firing weaponry autonomously in the not-too-distant future.

Advancing technology may offer the benefits of rapid response time, lower costs, and reduced physical and emotional risks to human soldiers. But these so-called "killer robots" are also raising concerns around the world.

"Fully autonomous weapons represent the step beyond remote-controlled armed drones," Human Rights Watch (HRW) in a report released today in conjunction with Harvard Law School's International Human Rights Clinic wrote.

"Unlike any existing weapons, these robots would identify and fire on targets without meaningful human intervention," they wrote.

According to HRW, the governments of the United States, Israel, China, Russia, South Korea and the United Kingdom are believed to be investigating the potential of autonomous drones, with the U.S. and U.K. already sending devices on test flights, CBS New reported.

The HRW report argues that such autonomous weapons would undermine basic human rights and the principle of human dignity.

"As inanimate machines, fully autonomous weapons could truly comprehend neither the value of individual life nor the significance of its loss. Allowing them to make determinations to take life away would thus conflict with the principle of dignity," the report said.

Another fear is that the autonomous drones would not be able to distinguish between combatants and civilians.

In the report, HRW calls for countries to pass laws against "killer drones" and support an internationally binding agreement to "prohibit the development, production, and use of fully autonomous weapons.