Palestinian Experts Warn of Dangers Posed by Autonomous Weapons

Palestinian Forum Highlights Threats of Autonomous Weapons

A recent panel on the militarization of digital spaces held during this year’s Palestine Digital Activism Forum discussed the use of autonomous weapons systems by Israeli authorities and the urgent need for an international legal response. The forum, which had over 1,500 participants from various civil society organizations, aimed to tackle digital rights challenges faced by Palestinians and activists working on the Palestinian cause.

Systemic Discrimination Against Palestinians

One of the speakers of the said panel, Susan Aboeid, an Associate of the Arms Division, warned that the use of autonomy in weapons systems was a dangerous part of the trend of how Israeli authorities use surveillance technologies to deepen the systematic discrimination against Palestinians. Israeli authorities use facial and biometric recognition technologies in the occupied West Bank – a development detailed in Amnesty International’s “Automated Apartheid” report. This report highlights the use of these technologies to facilitate the commission of the crime against humanity of apartheid against Palestinians.

Living Under a State of Surveillance

Palestinians are living under a state of surveillance, and the occupiers benefit from the occupation by testing tactics and software on Palestinians, which they export worldwide. Israeli authorities are also developing autonomous weapons systems that could automate their uses of force, which are frequently unlawful and help entrench their apartheid against Palestinians. Incorporating artificial intelligence and emerging technologies into weapons systems raises a host of ethical, humanitarian, and legal concerns not just for Palestinians but for all people.

Ethical, Humanitarian, and Legal Concerns

The rise of autonomous weapons systems poses a threat to humanity. The technologies that fuel discrimination against communities of color globally are the same tools used in the occupied West Bank against Palestinians. In Israel, these technologies dehumanize the Palestinian people.

Using autonomous weapons systems raises ethical, humanitarian, and legal concerns, especially in this case. The use of force by Israel against Palestinians is frequently unlawful, and the incorporation of emerging technologies and artificial intelligence into existing weapons systems will make that use of force more effective and harmful for the most vulnerable Palestinians.

Call for a Global Response

Campaigners are calling for the adoption of a treaty containing prohibitions and restrictions on autonomous weapons systems, which a significant number of countries, including Palestine, have joined. The international community needs to take note of the dangers posed by emerging technologies and artificial intelligence in the context of armed conflict and work together to curb the proliferation of autonomous weapons systems.

Editorial

It is high time for the international community to take note of the dangers that autonomous weapons systems pose to humanity. The development of such technologies is a threat to global security, and a global response is necessary to curb their proliferation.

The case of Israel’s use of autonomous weapons systems is especially alarming, given their use of force against Palestinians is frequently unlawful. The use of artificial intelligence and emerging technologies will make their use of force more effective and more harmful to the most vulnerable Palestinians.

It is essential to recognize and address how these emerging technologies fuel systemic discrimination against communities of color globally. Discrimination is pervasive in Israeli authorities’ use of surveillance in the occupied West Bank against Palestinians, a sad and unfortunate reality. The international community must act together to curb the development and use of these autonomous weapons systems that have proven harmful in this case.

Advice

As individuals and members of civil society, there are several things we can do to help curb the proliferation of autonomous weapons systems.

• We can demand that our governments take proactive steps towards prohibitions and restrictions on autonomous weapons systems
• We can highlight the dangers posed by emerging technologies in the context of armed conflict through engagement with civil society organizations
• We can empower human rights defenders working on the ground to document and raise awareness about the impact of these technologies

It is possible to work together to ensure that the technologies we are advancing do not harm the most vulnerable communities globally, especially in the context of armed conflict.

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