UN chief tells countries to rein in autonomous weapons

United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres and the Red Cross jointly called on countries to ban or restrict autonomous weapons, warning that the world is approaching a 'moral red line' with the 'autonomous targeting of humans by machines.' The appeal follows unconfirmed reports of AI-guided drones on the battlefield and a New York Times story claiming a Russian AI-guided drone killed three Ukrainians.

BRUSSELS — Countries should ban or restrict the use of autonomous weaponry, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres said on Tuesday, in a joint appeal with the Red Cross. The world is inching closer to "crossing a moral red line", the "autonomous targeting of humans by machines," Guterres said. The UN press release https://news.un.org/en/story/2026/08/1168196 referred to "unconfirmed reports" that drones guided by artificial intelligence are being deployed on the battlefield. On Monday, the New York Times ran a story which claimed https://www.nytimes.com/2026/08/24/world/europe/russia-drones-autonomous-ai-kill-ukraine-war.html that a Russian AI-guided drone killed three Ukrainians, highlighting how AI could evolve drone warfare.