Sci-Tech · 27 Aug 2026

Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems LAWS

Consider the following statements regarding Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS):

  1. LAWS are weapon systems that can select and engage targets without further human intervention once activated.
  2. The UN and ICRC's 2026 joint appeal for a binding treaty on LAWS is the first such call made by these two institutions.
  3. As of the appeal, no confirmed case exists of a fully autonomous weapon having independently targeted a human in combat.
A1 only
B2 only
C1 and 3 only
D1, 2 and 3
This question is based on: The Engineers Are the Ones Sounding the Alarm on Killer Robots
Take this in full test mode → Instructions for 27 Aug 2026
About this question

Why in news

UN Secretary-General António Guterres and ICRC President Mirjana Spoljaric renewed their 2023 call for a binding treaty restricting LAWS, ahead of a November 2026 decision under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) on whether to begin formal treaty negotiations.

Why for UPSC

This tests whether aspirants can distinguish a "renewed" appeal from a "first-ever" one - a subtle but exam-relevant distinction UPSC often probes to check if a claim is being over-read from a current event, alongside a precise factual definition of LAWS.

Prelims summary

LAWS are weapons that autonomously select and engage targets. The UN-ICRC's 2026 statement renews a 2023 appeal for binding rules under the CCW, ahead of a November 2026 decision on formal treaty talks; no confirmed autonomous-targeting incident has occurred yet.

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