Addressing Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain
Addressing Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain
https://www.hrw.org/news/2026/06/14/addressing-artificial-intelligence-in-the-military-domain
Publish Date: 2026-06-14 13:43:00
Source Domain: www.hrw.org
Militaries are rapidly integrating artificial intelligence (AI) into the making of life-and-death decisions: whom to target, what force to use, and how to weigh the expected harm to civilians. The adoption of AI in the military domain is now a global phenomenon, evident in the conduct of parties to armed conflict, in the priorities of major military powers, and in the investments of many other states.[1]
Human Rights Watch has conducted research and advocacy for more than a decade on the human rights and humanitarian consequences of removing meaningful human control from decisions about the use of force. Human Rights Watch has also long investigated the impact of AI technologies on human rights across a wide range of sectors, including public sector services, law enforcement, migration, and employment.[2] In addition to our extensive research on the human rights implications of autonomous weapons systems,[3] we have also documented Israel’s use of automated digital tools in the military domain – some of which use AI – in the Gaza Strip and assessed their risks to civilian protection and alignment with international human rights law and standards.[4]
This briefing, prepared by Human Rights Watch for the informal multi-stakeholder exchanges convened in Geneva in June 2026 pursuant to United Nations General Assembly resolution 80/58, sets out what states should do, through a series of recommendations to promote compliance with international humanitarian and human rights law and protect civilians in response to the threats posed by AI in the military domain. After providing technical and policy context, the briefing highlights three concerns.
First, the adoption of AI-enabled capabilities is outpacing the testing, evaluation, verification, and validation (TEVV) on which the lawful use of any new means or method of warfare depends. In practice, the battlefield has become a testing ground. Moreover, AI systems resist traditional testing and…
