Author: Dr. Ausaf Ahmad Malik, Dr. Abhilash Aggarwal
 
Abstract
The rapid integration of artificial intelligence (AI) into modern warfare, exemplified by autonomous drones in Ukraine and algorithmic targeting in Gaza, heralds a transformative yet perilous era for global security. This study examines how AI’s proliferation driven by geopolitical escalations like the US-China arms race and conflicts in Ukraine and Gaza
exposes critical vulnerabilities in international humanitarian law (IHL) and international human rights law (IHRL). Through a doctrinal and comparative methodology, analyzing texts like the Geneva Conventions and UN resolutions alongside national policies, the paper identifies accountability gaps in “black box” algorithms, compliance failures in distinction and proportionality, and human rights assaults on life, dignity, and non-discrimination. Geopolitical rivalries hinder binding regulations, fueling proliferation to non-state actors and amplifying civilian harms. Drawing on 2025 reports from Human Rights Watch and UNIDIR, the study proposes a binding UN treaty on lethal autonomous weapons by 2026, mandatory bias audits, strengthened export controls, updated domestic laws and multi stakeholder coalitions to mitigate risks. Without urgent reforms, AI’s unchecked evolution threatens to erode human rights in a volatile world, necessitating a reimagined legal framework to preserve humanity amid technological warfare.

Published in:  February 2026 (Volume-8, Number-1)

Keyword: Artificial Intelligence | Geopolitical Escalations | Human Rights | International Humanitarian Law Warfare

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