Considering the Risks and Impact of Increasingly Autonomous Systems Adoption by Violent Non-state Groups in the Asia Pacific Region

In light of the ongoing conflict in Ukraine and burgeoning tensions between the United States and China, it is understandable why the international community has returned to a keen interest in great power competition and traditional security threats. For countries in the Asia Pacific, however, concerns over the potential for great power conflict must be tempered by the realities of residing in a region known for serious and ongoing non-traditional security threats, including active violent non-state armed groups. At the same time, there have been increasing public acknowledgements that the development of military applications of artificial intelligence, including but not limited to autonomous weapons systems, has progressed past the point where a comprehensive ban is likely to be an effective solution. This article focuses on understanding the capacity of violent non-state groups to adopt, or otherwise capitalise on, the maturation and proliferation of increasingly autonomous weapons systems, with a focus on the Asia Pacific.