Artificial Intelligence, Warfare, and the Hope of Pandora’s Box: Three Scenarios for International Law

This article examines the regulatory efforts of the international community, under the auspices of the UN, to govern the military uses of arti cial intelligence. Since discussions at the Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) forum have reached a deadlock, the attention is drawn to what to expect as a result of this stalemate. The article discusses three speci c scenarios: (a) the material practices of global superpowers vis-à-vis means of cooperative governance; (b) attempts to attain global or partial solutions through the means of lawmaking; and (c) a mix of customs and ad hoc agreements, cooperative governance, and mandatory law. The article illustrates the reasons why this latter scenario is not only preferable but also feasible, practical, and far-reaching.