Implications of the EU AI Act for Autonomous Weapons Systems

Determine the legal and practical implications of the European Union AI Act for AI-enabled autonomous weapons systems (AWS), specifically whether and to what extent the Act’s provisions regulate the development, deployment, and use of AWS by EU member states and defense contractors, and clarify how the Act interfaces with existing international humanitarian law and military exemptions.

Background

The paper surveys national and international efforts to regulate AI and autonomous weapons over the past two decades, noting increasing attention to governance frameworks. Among these, the EU AI Act is highlighted as the first comprehensive AI regulation in the EU, but the authors stress that its relevance to military AWS is not yet defined.

Clarifying the EU AI Act’s applicability to AWS is important because the Act could influence both civilian and military AI research, procurement, and deployment practices in Europe. Without clear guidance, ambiguity may affect policy, compliance, and academic research tied to dual-use technologies.