Autonomous weapon systems and meaningful human control.

This article examines the principle of meaningful human control (MHC) over autonomous weapon systems (AWS), focusing on its legal, ethical, and operational dimensions within the framework of international humanitarian law (IHL). It provides a working definition of MHC as the degree of human agency and moral responsibility preserved in decisions to use force, emphasizing informed human conduct through deliberate and dynamic targeting processes. The paper discusses the challenges of ensuring MHC given varying levels of AWS autonomy, the ethical concerns arising from delegating life-and-death decisions to machines lacking human judgment, and the necessity of integrating MHC requirements into weapon review processes and operator training. It also highlights the importance of operational constraints, transparency, and accountability to uphold IHL principles such as distinction, proportionality, and precaution. The article concludes that meaningful human control is essential for lawful and ethical AWS deployment and should be embedded from design through use to ensure compliance and responsibility.