Artificial Intelligence : Stakeholders Brainstorm on Dangers

Campaign to stop the production and use of killer robots is gaining grounds in Douala. This was evident during a workshop that brought together on August 20, over 10 Non Governmental Organisations (NGOs) within the city. The workshop organised by the Women’s International League for Peace and Freedom (WILPF) Cameroon was a rare moment for stakeholders to brainstorm on how to come out with a blue print that would be use as an advocacy document to push for the non production and usage of killer robots.

It is becoming evident that the production of killer robots is on a high gear and some world powers are developing weapons systems with significant autonomy in the critical functions of selecting and attacking targets. If left unchecked the world could enter a destabilizing robotic arms race. Fully autonomous weapons would decide who lives and dies, without further human intervention, which crosses a moral threshold. As machines, they would lack the inherently human characteristics such as compassion that are necessar...