Barrett, Beyer, Jacobs Introduce Bipartisan Bill To Require Human Oversight Over Autonomous And AI Weapons

July 17, 2026 Press Release Washington, D.C. — Today, Congressmen Tom Barrett (MI-07), Don Beyer (VA-08), and Sara Jacobs (CA-51) introduced the Human Authority over Autonomous Weapons Act ( H.R. 9729 ) to ensure that no autonomous or artificial intelligence-enabled weapon system used by the United States military can carry out an intentionally lethal strike without meaningful human oversight or a human decision-maker in the loop. The bill would establish a clear legal requirement that commanders and operators retain appropriate levels of human judgment in decisions involving the use of lethal force. “Artificial intelligence is playing an increasingly critical role in strengthening our national defense, but it should never be the one making life-or-death decisions,” Barrett said. “We must establish safeguards now to ensure these technologies are used ethically and transparently. This bipartisan bill sets clear limits to make sure people stay in control whenever lethal force is involved while allowing our military to continue leading the world in technological innovation.” “No machine should ever be allowed to independently decide to kill a human being because allowing AI systems to independently select and engage targets carries serious risks. Machines cannot understand morality or the value of human life, nor can they be held accountable for mistakes, war crimes, or catastrophic escalation,” said Beyer. “These life and death decisions must remain in human hands. As AI becomes more powerful and more integrated into military systems, Congress has a responsibility to establish clear guardrails and responsible standards for the military use of AI. Our legislation would ensure that a human decision-maker always remains in the loop and integral to the chain of command when lethal force is involved.” “AI mistakes on the battlefield have the potential to be catastrophic: civilian casualties, friendly fire, unintended escalation, and calculations made on faulty data,” said Jacobs. “These aren’t risks worth taking – not when they can result in unnecessary lives lost or war. That’s why I’m proud to join Congressman Beyer and Congressman Barrett in introducing legislation to ensure that humans are meaningfully involved before autonomous or AI-enabled weapon systems are used for lethal force. This is a common-sense step to help our military keep pace with emerging technologies while upholding our commitments to international humanitarian law and ethics.” Barrett also recently introduced an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) to prohibit the use of artificial intelligence to independently carry out offensive lethal force. Although the amendment was not made in order for House floor consideration, Barrett has continued working with colleagues on bipartisan legislation to establish statutory guardrails for the military use of AI-enabled and autonomous weapons. Click here to read the bill. Click here to read more about this bill in Axios.