Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Act of 2023

To prohibit the use of Federal funds to launch a nuclear weapon using an autonomous weapons system that is not subject to meaningful human control, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Act of 2023 2. Findings Congress finds the following: (1) Department of Defense Directive 3000.09 defines autonomous weapons system (2) Article 3, clause 8 of the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons prohibits the indiscriminate use of weapons, which is defined as any placement of such weapons … which may be expected to cause incidental loss of civilian life, injury to civilians, damage to civilian objects, or a combination thereof, which would be excessive in relation to the concrete and direct military advantage anticipated (3) Section 5.10 of the Department of Defense Law of War Manual states [c]ommanders, at all levels, have a great responsibility to exercise the leadership necessary to reduce the risk of harm to civilians and civilian objects (4) In a report on autonomous weapons systems published on December 1, 2021, Human Rights Watch and the International Human Rights Clinic of Harvard Law School argue that [r]obots lack the compassion, empathy, mercy, and judgment necessary to treat humans humanely, and they cannot understand the inherent worth of human life (5) The 2022 Nuclear Posture Review states [i]n all cases, the United States will maintain a human in the loop (6) The National Security Commission on Artificial Intelligence, established by Congress pursuant to section 1051 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2019 ( Public Law 115–232 clearly and publicly affirm existing U.S. policy that only human beings can authorize employment of nuclear weapons and seek similar commitments from Russia and China (7) On February 16, 2023, the Department of State issued a Political Declaration on Responsible Military Use of Artificial Intelligence and Autonomy, which includes the following statement: States should maintain human control and involvement for all actions critical to informing and executing sovereign decisions concerning nuclear weapons (8) Large-scale nuclear war would lead to the deaths of millions of people, firestorms, radioactive fallout contamination, agricultural failure, and catastrophic climate results. (9) To comply with international humanitarian law, human control and human legal judgment are essential in the nuclear command and control process. 3. Sense of Congress It is the sense of Congress that— (1) the use of lethal, autonomous nuclear weapons systems that are not subject to meaningful human control cannot properly adhere to international humanitarian law; and (2) any decision to launch any nuclear weapon should not be made by artificial intelligence. 4. Prohibition on use of Federal funds to deploy nuclear weapons with autonomous weapons systems not subject to meaningful human control (a) In general None of the funds authorized to be appropriated or otherwise made available for any fiscal year may be obligated or expended to use an autonomous weapons system that is not subject to meaningful human control to— (1) launch a nuclear weapon; or (2) select or engage targets for the purposes of launching a nuclear weapon. (b) Definitions In this section: (1) The term autonomous weapons system Autonomy in Weapons Systems (2) The term meaningful human control (A) the selection and engagement of targets; and (B) the time, location, and manner of use.

Summary: Block Nuclear Launch by Autonomous Artificial Intelligence Act of 2023 This bill prohibits the use of federal funds for an autonomous weapons system that is not subject to meaningful human control to launch a nuclear weapon or to select or engage targets for the purposes of launching a nuclear weapon. With respect to an autonomous weapons system, meaningful human control means human control of the (1) selection and engagement of targets, and (2) time, location, and manner of use.