Russia and US move to block binding autonomous weapons rules at UN conference
Plans to fill a gap in global governance of autonomous weapons are in jeopardy as a bloc led by Russia and the United States is using a UN conference this month to block proposals for a legally binding set of rules. The seventh review conference on “certain conventional weapons” in Geneva will be attended by 128 countries from 16 to 20 November, and is seen as the key moment for deciding whether…
Key points
- 128 countries will attend the UN review conference in Geneva from 16‑20 November to decide on a binding autonomous weapons treaty
- Russia, the US and Israel are leading a push to block a timetable for negotiations, while a coalition of 50 states urges a strict mandate
- Recent incidents include Ukraine reporting a Russian AI‑guided drone strike and a US bombing of an Iranian school using Palantir’s Maven AI system
Anna Hehir, head of military AI governance at the Future of Life Institute, warned that some states may hide behind language that looks like progress while pushing for endless voluntary measures with no teeth. Pope Leo XIV, the UN intervention, stressed that decisions affecting human life must remain under human oversight and called for AI to be “disarmed.” Human Rights Watch, Stop Killer Robots, and the International Committee of the Red Cross have all urged a move from discussion to negotiation, citing unpredictable behavior of AI‑assisted weapons.
Recent incidents underscore the urgency: Ukraine reported a Russian AI‑guided drone striking a propane tank in Zaporizhzhia, and a US bombing of a school in Minab, Iran on 28 February killed at least 175 people after the Maven AI system operated by Palantir failed to flag the site as a school. A poll by the Future of Life Institute found overwhelming public support for a global treaty in France, Germany and the UK, though many doubt its enforceability.
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Russia and US seek to block plan for binding rules on autonomous weapons
The Guardian AI · 6 November 2026
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