WSJ Tech News Briefing · Monday, July 6, 2026
United Nations Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has called for a ban on lethal autonomous weapons, also known as "killer robots," stating they are morally repugnant. This call comes amid growing concerns about the use of AI in military applications and public backlash against the potential negative societal impacts of AI, such as job displacement and increased electricity prices.
“The United Nations chief is calling for autonomous weapons to be banned by international law.”
“UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called drones that can select and attack targets on their own, killer robots, and said they were quote, morally repugnant.”
“The conversations about AI weapons come as there's growing popular backlash in the US and other countries about the potential negative effects of the AI revolution, including mass job replacement and electricity price increases.”