[Research Paper] Weaponized AI and the Place of the Human

From September 1 to 5, 2025, PEACEMOMO participated in the 2nd Session of the 2025 Group of Governmental Experts (GGE) on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS) under the Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW). Based on the discussions at the CCW GGE LAWS meeting, this report organizes key issues and concerns surrounding LAWS as of 2025 from the perspectives of international humanitarian law, human rights, and ethics.

In 2020, PEACEMOMO published a report expressing concern about a potential future in which autonomous weapons systems merge with nuclear capabilities. Soon after, amid the global turmoil caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, artificial intelligence technologies advanced rapidly. Following the outbreak of the Russia–Ukraine war in 2022 and subsequent conflicts such as the Israel–Hamas war, we have observed the growing reality in which the use of autonomous weapon systems has expanded across contemporary battlefields with minimal restraint.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres has urged member states to agree to an international treaty banning LAWS by 2026. During this period, South Korean (hereinafter “Korean”) society has struggled to initiate meaningful public discussions on autonomous weapons systems, while the Korean government continues to portray itself as both an AI powerhouse and a military power. Against this backdrop, PEACEMOMO deemed it necessary to examine discussions surrounding LAWS ban negotiations and to share these debates more broadly, leading to the preparation of this report.

PEACEMOMO extends deep gratitude to each and every supporter who made it possible for us to participate substantively in discussions related to LAWS at the CCW GGE meeting. We extend special thanks to the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Korea Office, whose generous support enabled this report to be published.

November 12, 2025

PEACEMOMO

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