Lockheed’s AI factory? Google-fired missiles? These are just a few ideas overheard at a recent AI Expo here in DC -- and we should all be on alert.

Whether it’s Microsoft pitching OpenAI's DALL-E tool to the Pentagon or the billions of dollars Silicon Valley is pouring into weapons makers, the face of modern warfare is changing at warp speed. Behind closed doors, weapons contractors and AI companies are working hand in glove to build fully autonomous weapons that can select and engage targets without any human control.

This development is already turbocharging a global arms race as nations scramble to develop increasingly uncontrollable weapons to gain a strategic edge -- and it’s time we wake up from this sci-fi nightmare.

We deserve a clear, unequivocal prohibition on autonomous weapons, backed by strict regulations and hefty penalties for any company or individual who dares to cross this red line -- and the U.S. government should lead a global charge. President Biden has a chance to show bold international leadership, but he won’t do it without immense pressure from activists like you.