'Statement by Commodore Nishant Kumar, Director (Military Affairs), Ministry of External Affairs, Government of India on Agenda item 5(d) Characterisation of the Systems under consideration in order to promote a common understanding on Concepts and Characteristics relevant to the objectives and purposes of the Convention at the 2019 session of GGE on LAWS held in Geneva on March 25, 2019

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Statement by India – Characterisation of the Systems under consideration in order to promote a common understanding on Concepts and Characteristics relevant to the objectives and purposes of the Convention

Monday, 25 March 2019

Mr Chairperson,

The Indian delegation feels that though having definition does help in comprehending the various associated nuances, it’s absence should not be stumbling block for moving forward and making progress within CCW.  With this understanding, some of the capabilities or functions which could help in common understanding within this forum are as follows:

• Autonomy.    Element of “autonomy” is essential to differentiate LAWS from the automated systems in use. Autonomy results in suchsystems operating independently or autonomously with persistent process built till the terminal phase of critical function without human control after deployed or activation or launch.
• Technical Characteristics.As part of technical characteristics,AI systems may possess capability to differentiate real targets, follow defined mission without change in path, are able to identify friend or foe and recognise human or human emotion through detecting sensors.Such weapons or weapon system will be riding on Artificial intelligence and related technologies such as machine learning and deep learning.
• Adapting Machine Learning.Such systems wouldadapting Machine Learning to complex environment scenario by means of
  • Self-mobility – ability to move and navigate autonomously;
  • Self-direction – ability to identify and track target;
  • Self-determination – ability to launch attack or adapt its functioning autonomously.
     
• Self-Learning & Adaptive Capability.  Complexities of conflict environment, coupled with challenges of building algorithms complying with the principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL), opens the possibility that LAWS would possess complex self-learning and adaptive capabilities, as pre-programming all feasible military scenarios and courses of action may not be feasible.
• Decision Making Ability.       A distinctive function or capability for LAWS, may be taken as the ability of a fully autonomous system to take decisions on its own, as opposed to pre-programmed actions as per a given set of conditions. Feasibility of regulations on the types of decisions that can be delegated to the machine, at various stages, merit further deliberation in subsequent years in the CCW framework.

Thank You Chair.