Culmination of Law

Culmination of Law

The Use of Autonomous Weapon Systems and the Fundamental Principles of International Humanitarian Law: From Compatibility to Contradiction

Document Type : Original Article

Authors
Ali Navari 1
Esmaeil Khalifeh 2
1 Assistant Professor, Public International Law, Faculty of Law, University of Judicial Sciences and Administrative Services, Tehran, Iran
2 PhD student in International Law, University of Judicial Sciences and Administrative Services, Tehran, Iran
10.22034/thdad.2024.2021620.2694
Abstract
The emergence and use of autonomous weapon systems are one of the expressions of the rapid evolution of modern war technologies. Despite the fact that international humanitarian law is responsible for determining certain limits in the field of the use of methods and means of combat; regarding this nascent weaponry, there is still no rule yet. In the absence of rules governing the use of autonomous weapons in the battlefield, it is the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law that can be the conductor and guide of the international law system in regulating the behavior of states in this field. According to this, the compatibility and collation of the possibility of using autonomous weapon systems in accordance with the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law can determine to some extent the general position of international law regulating behavior in war (ius in bello) for the use of this type of weapon. The present article, tries to provide an answer to the question, to what extent is the use of autonomous weapon systems compatible with the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law, with the analytical-descriptive method? The hypothesis of this article is that currently, the use of autonomous weapon systems is not compatible with the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law. The findings of this research show that in the use of autonomous weapon systems, it is not possible to observe the principles of distinction and proportionality and the principles of military necessity and humanity cannot be applied to these types of weapons. However, it is possible that future technological advances could enable autonomous weapon systems with more accurate comply with the fundamental principles of international humanitarian law.
Keywords
Autonomous Weapon Systems
International Humanitarian Law
The Principle of Distinction
The principle of Proportionality
The Principle of Military Necessity
The Principle of Humanity

Subjects

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Culmination of Law
Volume 11, Issue 3
Winter 2026
Pages 217-259