Stop Killer Robots

Acronym: SKR

Established: 2012

Address: Place Cornavin 2, 1201 Geneva, Switzerland

Website: https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/

Stakeholder group: NGOs and associations

The Stop Killer Robots campaign, which was established in 2012, is a growing international coalition of over 270 NGOs working in more than 70 countries around the world.

SKR is a movement working to build a society in which technology is developed and used to promote peace, justice, human rights, equality, and respect for law – not automate killing.

We urge all states to negotiate and adopt an international legal treaty that ensures meaningful human control over the use of force and rejects the automation of killing through:

Prohibitions: banning autonomous weapon systems that do not allow for meaningful human control, and banning all systems that use sensors to target humans.
Regulations: additional rules on the design, development, and use of other autonomous weapons systems to ensure they will be used with meaningful human control in practice.

Contents

Digital activities

SKR uses a variety of digital activities and social media campaigns to support its advocacy and campaigning work. As an international coalition, social media is integral in spotlighting the breadth of the campaign and its coalition members’ work. SKR has also undertaken the production of a wide variety of content that presents the killer robots issue from different angles according to what will speak most effectively to different target audiences.

Immoral Code, a documentary that contemplates the impact of killer robots in an increasingly automated world. The film examines whether there are situations where it’s morally and socially acceptable to take life, and importantly, would a computer know the difference? Immoral Code has been incredibly successful as a campaigning tool with over 150,000 views on YouTube, screenings hosted by our campaigners in over 20 countries, with subtitles requested and available in 11 languages so far!

Digital dehumanisation is a process where humans are reduced to data, which is then used to make decisions and/or take actions that negatively affect their lives. The Digital Dehumanisation campaign has produced factual and creative content to explore global examples of digital dehumanisation – from data and privacy concerns to facial recognition and robotics. This work brings other expert stakeholders into our campaign and platforms their expertise while making the connection between the lack of regulation in other areas with the development of killer robots.

Automated by Design is an interactive, multimedia exhibition that explores digital dehumanisation and autonomous weapons systems. This travelling exhibition was created for use by the international campaign and by campaigners in their national contexts as an opportunity to explore the killer robots issue with media, political decision makers, and members of the public. The physical exhibition is complemented by a digital experience via the exhibition microsite.

Automated Decision Research (ADR) is the monitoring and research team of SKR. They track state support for a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems and conduct research and analysis on responses to autonomy and automated decision-making in warfare and wider society.
They also monitor weapons systems, either already existing or announced as in development, and produce reports, briefings, and fact sheets and send out regular newsletters on news and developments in autonomy in weapons systems and other related areas.

Digital policy issues

Artificial Intelligence and digital dehumanisation

The global coalition Stop Killer Robots is dedicated to the prohibition and regulation of autonomous weapons systems, often referred to as ‘killer robots’, that can select and attack targets without prior human intervention or oversight. The organisation acknowledges that through increased functionality in AI and the processing of data through algorithms, machines are beginning to replace humans in the application of force. Pushing for a legally binding instrument on this issue, the group works to raise awareness about the ethical, legal and humanitarian concerns associated with the creation and use of such autonomous weaponry. Their main activities include working with governments, policy-makers, military officials, academics, technologists and other national, regional, and international organisations to prevent the weaponisation of AI. Lobbying and campaigns, as well as the raising of public awareness and educational efforts, are aimed at drawing attention to the dangers of autonomous weapons and informing the public, decision-makers in charge, and other stakeholders about the necessity of maintaining human control in lethal decision-making. Preventing digital dehumanisation and automated harm is at the core of SKR’s collaborations with a wide range of international human rights groups, arms control organisations and experts in AI and robotics.

Joining efforts helps to amplify the coalition’s call for strict ethical guidelines and accountability in the development of AI and automated technologies. Crucial to achieving these goals is also its active participation in international forums, such as the UN CCW, the UNGA’s First Committee, as well as academic and policy conferences on AI and Arms Control.

The organisation frequently publishes reports, papers and policy briefs exploring the dimensions of automated harm and the urgent need for regulation in AI-powered warfare to prevent further digital dehumanisation. Part of this research includes regular in-depth assessments of adopted national AI strategies of various states, as well as policy positions on the EU-level and other international guidelines to draw out core themes regarding the use of AI and automated decision-making technologies in the civil and military spheres.

In addition to this, SKR has developed several toolkits aimed at supporting its member organisations and individual policy-makers in advocating for the negotiation of an international treaty on the ban and regulation of the automated use of force.

These objectives also intersect with current developments in the fields of cyber conflict and warfare, especially when it comes to discussions revolving around ethical and legal considerations of autonomous technologies. Advocating for maintaining human control in decisions over life and death, SKR also advances the debates about the role of AI, automation and the use of data in warfare, policing, and border control.

Digital tools and initiatives

Parliamentary Pledge

SKR believes that parliamentarians play a vital role in enabling progress and increasing public concern on this issue. The SKR Parliamentary Pledge provides an opportunity for parliamentarians around the world to show their support for new international law that rejects the automation of killing and ensures meaningful human control over the use of force. The pledge is open to any current member of a national, state/regional, or international parliament or congress, in any part of the world. The pledge has signatures from politicians across six continents and continues to grow.

Petition

The SKR international petition, created in collaboration with Amnesty International, calls on government leaders from around the world to launch negotiations for international law on autonomy in weapons systems. The petition currently has signatories from over 102 countries.

Campaigner’s Toolkit

The Campaigner’s Toolkit: Parliamentary Engagement by Stop Killer Robots helps campaigners effectively engage with parliamentarians to advocate against autonomous weapons. It highlights the importance of parliamentary outreach, public awareness, and collaboration within national and regional groups. The broader Campaigner’s Kit provides guidance on key advocacy topics, including legal arguments, military engagement, media outreach, and social media campaigning.