Examining Supply Chain Risks in Autonomous Weapon Systems and Artificial Intelligence

Abstract

The development of increasingly AI-enabled autonomous systems and other military applications of Artificial Intelligence (AI) have been recognised as emergent major military innovations. In the absence of an effective and enforceable ban on their development and/or usage arising from the Group of Governmental Experts on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS), it is likely that such systems will continue to be development. Amongst the legal, ethical, practical, and strategic concerns raised by the emergence of such systems, it is important not to lose sight of the risks involved in relying on a high-manufactured system in place of a human. This places additional strains and importance on securing diverse, complex, and over cross-jurisdictional supply chains. This article focuses on the vulnerability of and the risks to the integrity and security of the supply chains responsible for producing AI-enabled autonomous military systems.