Tyler Barrett Delivering Statement at the 2025 Informal Consultations on Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems

At the 2025 Informal Consultations on Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS), Tyler Raymond Barrett of the Nuclear Age Peace Foundation (NAPF) and its youth initiative, Reverse The Trend (RTT), delivered a powerful intervention addressing the critical security threats posed by autonomous weapons.

Tyler raised the alarm about the increasing potential for these systems to be used as delivery mechanisms for weapons of mass destruction. He emphasized that because autonomous systems require significantly less infrastructure and resources than traditional weapons, they dangerously lower the threshold for proliferation. This, he warned, opens the door for acquisition by non-state actors and unstable regimes.

A major point of Tyler’s address focused on the accountability vacuum created when Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems operate with limited or no human oversight. “The determination of who holds responsibility for actions resulting in mass casualties becomes deeply problematic,” he noted, highlighting the risk of eroding international legal norms surrounding the use of force.

Tyler also brought attention to the cyber vulnerabilities inherent in such systems, where interference or reprogramming could redirect lethal payloads toward unintended targets — posing a risk not only to individual states, but to global stability at large.

Concluding his statement, Tyler called on the international community to adopt a legally binding treaty banning fully autonomous weapons, reinforcing the urgency of preemptive regulation in the face of rapidly advancing technologies.

As a youth voice advocating at the intersection of peace, disarmament, and AI governance, Tyler’s intervention reflected the growing momentum for multigenerational engagement in shaping the future of international security.

📸 Pictured above: Tyler Barrett delivering his statement at the UN as a representative of NAPF and RTT, raising civil society’s concerns about the unchecked development of autonomous weapons.