War Crimes Involving Autonomous Weapons: Responsibility, Liability and Accountability.

This article examines key international legal issues related to war crimes involving autonomous weapon systems (AWS), focusing on the concepts of responsibility, liability, and accountability under international humanitarian law (IHL). It distinguishes between state responsibility for internationally wrongful acts and individual criminal responsibility for war crimes involving AWS, highlighting challenges in attributing conduct and intent due to the autonomous nature of these weapons. The article also clarifies different notions of state liability and discusses the evolving debate on an alleged "accountability gap," emphasizing that accountability often extends beyond legal responsibility to include political and social explanations for conduct involving AWS. It concludes that further detailed legal analysis and practical evaluation are needed to address unresolved issues and enhance the international legal framework governing the use of autonomous weapons in armed conflict.