Efforts to regulate 'killer robots' are threatened by war in Ukraine

International attempts to regulate the use of autonomous weapons, sometimes called "killer robots", are faltering and may be derailed if such weapons are used in Ukraine and seen to be effective. No country is known to have used autonomous weapons yet. Their potential use is controversial because they would select and attack targets without human oversight. Arms control groups are campaigning for the creation of binding international agreements to cover their use, like the ones we have for chemical and biological weapons, before they are deployed. Progress is being stymied by world events, however.