The World Council of Churches has joined in the campaign backed by the head of the United Nations to ensure human beings are in control when it comes to the use of lethal autonomous weapons.

This week, a group of Governmental Experts on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems met at the United Nations in Geneva from Aug. 26-30 August 2024/

The World Council of Churches was also playing its part. And since 2019, the WCC has been in the Stop Killer Robots coalition.

This group works to ensure human beings control the use of force and calls for new international laws for autonomous weapons systems.

The value of human life is priceless, and decisions about life or death cannot be delegated to machines, stated a faith-based dialogue on lethal autonomous weapons at the UN in Geneva on Aug. 27.

Rev. Kolade Fadahunsi, from the WCC's Commission of the Churches on International Affairs, a member of the Methodist Church in Nigeria, was there.

He spoke at a side event during the meeting of the UN Group of Government Experts on Emerging Technologies in the Area of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems.

The event was hosted by the WCC and supported by the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots.

Intentional killing of human beings is a violation of human dignity and the 6th commandment in the Bible, "You shall not kill" (Exodus 20:18), reminded Rev. Fadahunsi, who is director of the Institute of Church and Society in Ibadan, Nigeria.

'WHO IS RESPONSBILE FOR THE SIN'

"Murderers and those who cooperate voluntarily commit a grave sin which cries out to heaven for vengeance. So, if a machine kills without any human control – who is responsible for carrying this sin?" he asked.

"We cannot watch and let AI be weaponized into a global threat. It is not to be left to the machines to decide who lives or dies. As people of faith, we must stand beside those who are vulnerable," said Fadahunsi.

Speakers representing Christianity, Islam, the Japanese Buddhist movement Soka Gakkai, and the Baha'i faiths, underlined the sanctity of human life as a fundamental value across all religious traditions – and a human responsibility to respect and protect.

"Since the WCC joined the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots we have issued statements with partners from other faiths," said Jennifer Philpot-Nissen, WCC program executive for Human Rights and Disarmament.

She said the church grouping representing more than half a billion Christians worldwide has expressed "a unified concern over the insidious development of weapons systems that lack meaningful human control and reduce people to a set of numbers."

Simin Fahandej, a representative of the Bahá'í International Community's UN Office in Geneva, asked, "How can we harness a collective wisdom of our diverse traditions to build this framework?"

She said, "In the world where technology is rapidly shaping every aspect of our lives, it is more crucial than ever that we stand together to ensure that these developments are aligned with our deepest values—to protect human dignity, to promote justice, and foster global unity."

Raza Shah Khan, chief executive of Sustainable Peace and Development Organization from Pakistan, stated that autonomous weapons systems can't understand the value of life and human dignity – especially in a complex conflict environment.

"States should work together to build consensus and trust towards a legally binding instrument on autonomous weapons systems," said Shah Khan.

According to Human Rights Watch, UN Nations Secretary-General António Guterres' on Aug. 6 called on goverrnment to open negotiations on a new international treaty on lethal autonomous weapons systems.

These "killer robots" select and attack targets based on sensor processing rather than human inputs, a dangerous development for humanity.

In a report Guterres reiterated his call for states to conclude by 2026 a new international treaty "to prohibit weapons systems that function without human control or oversight and that cannot be used in compliance with international humanitarian law."

Such a treaty should regulate all other types of autonomous weapons systems, the secretary-general said.