Over 60% Of People In 26 Countries Opposing Use Of Lethal Autonomous Weapons - Poll

More than 60 percent of people in 26 countries across the world are opposing the use of lethal autonomous weapon systems, a fresh poll showed on Tuesday

MOSCOW (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 22nd January, 2019) More than 60 percent of people in 26 countries across the world are opposing the use of lethal autonomous weapon systems, a fresh poll showed on Tuesday.

According to an online survey conducted by the Ipsos pollster on behalf of Human Rights Watch for the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots, the use of such systems is opposed by 61 percent of respondents, supported by 22 percent, with 17 percent more having no clear opinion on the issue.

"Support for fully autonomous weapons is strongest in India (50%) and Israel (41%). The strongest opposition is in Turkey (78%), South Korea (74%), and Hungary (74%)," the pollster said.

A total of 66 percent of opponents of the use of lethal autonomous weapons expressed fear that such robots may cross a moral line. Over a half of opponents do not want such systems to be used because such weapons are "unaccountable" from their point of view.

The poll was conducted in December among 500 - 1,000 people in 26 countries: India, Israel, Brazil, China, Mexico, Peru, Argentina, South Africa, the United States, Poland, the United Kingdom, Italy, Colombia, Spain, Russia, Belgium, France, South Korea, Sweden, Australia, Canada, Germany, Japan, Hungary, Turkey and the Netherlands.