Thirty-three leaders from churches and Christian organisations in the UK have asked the British government to back legally binding international rules on weapons that use artificial intelligence to select and attack targets.
The open letter, addressed to Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband, was published on November 10 by the Joint Public Issues Team, a partnership of Baptists Together, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church.
Signatories include senior figures from the Church of England, the Church of Scotland, the Scottish Episcopal Church, the Baptist Union, the Methodist Church and the United Reformed Church. The former Archbishop of Canterbury, Rowan Williams, also signed.
Why now
The letter comes ahead of a United Nations meeting in Geneva from November 16 to 20. Countries there will decide whether to begin formal negotiations on a treaty covering autonomous weapons systems. The church leaders want the UK to support opening those talks and then press for binding controls.
At the heart of their objection is a moral line. The leaders wrote that handing over to computer code “decisions to injure or kill” is unacceptable for anyone who believes in the dignity of human life.
The group points to reports of growing military use of AI in Ukraine, Gaza and Iran, and to a UN report linking military AI to last year’s rise in child casualties in conflict. It also cites polling for the Future of Life Institute suggesting about nine in ten Britons want the UK to lead on global AI weapons rules.
What happens next
The Geneva talks are not expected to produce a treaty immediately. They will decide only whether negotiations start. Charismata News will report the outcome.
Sources: Joint Public Issues Team, 10 November 2026 (includes the full letter); Religion Media Centre, 11 November 2026.
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Faithful Scribe is a passionate writer dedicated to exploring Christian teachings and inspiring believers to live out their faith with purpose and conviction. For more insightful articles, stay connected with Charismata News.
