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Zelenskyy Warns World: AI Drones Will Soon Kill Without Human Command
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![Photo of Ivan Khomenko]( "Photo of Ivan Khomenko")
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has predicted that armed drones equipped with artificial intelligence could soon operate without human involvement, attacking pre-designated targets independently.
Zelenskyy made the remarks during his speech at the United Nations General Assembly in New York on September 24.
He highlighted that tens of thousands of people worldwide are already trained to use drones in combat. Unlike conventional weapons, he said, drones are harder to stop once deployed.
“Earlier only the strongest countries could afford to use drones, because they were expensive and complex. Now even simple drones can fly thousands of kilometers. Military technology no longer cares about geography—it transforms it,” Zelenskyy stated.
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The Ukrainian President also drew attention to recent international developments, noting that North Korea had announced the testing of a tactical strike drone just last week.
This, he argued, demonstrates that even states with limited resources are capable of producing weapons that pose risks to neighboring countries. Such systems, he added, could eventually be accessible to non-state actors, including terrorist groups or criminal cartels.
Zelenskyy warned that technological advances in unmanned systems are outpacing the global community’s ability to regulate or counter them.
“The world is moving too slowly to defend itself. And weapons are moving fast. Now companies are already working on drones that can shoot down other drones. And it is only a matter of time—a small amount of time—before drones start fighting drones, attacking critical infrastructure, and targeting people—fully autonomously, without human involvement, except for a few who control AI systems,” he said.
Earlier in September, The Wall Street Journal reported that Ukraine became the first country to deploy AI-guided drone swarms in active combat, marking a historic shift in modern warfare. Using software developed by local firm Swarmer, Ukrainian drones can autonomously coordinate, identify targets, and strike with minimal human input.
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