Could China Develop Killer Robots in the Near Future? Experts Fear So

Russia started sabotaging the discussion from the very first session. Throughout the morning of Aug. 21, its diplomats at the United Nations in Geneva took the floor, nitpicking language in a document meant to pave the way for an eventual ban on lethal autonomous weapons, also known as killer robots, an emerging category of weapons that would be able to fight on their own and decide who to target and kill. "They were basically trying to waste time," says Laura Nolan of the International Committee for Robot Arms Control, who watched with frustration in the hall. But while Russia vigorously worked to derail progress, it had a quieter partner: China. "I very much get the impression that they're working together in some way," says Nolan. "[The Chinese] are letting the Russians steamroll the process, and they're happy to hang back."