Activists are calling for a treaty that would ban “killer robots” as a conference of the United Nations’ Convention of Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) is held this week.

According to the activists, something needs to be done to prevent a scenario where deployed weapons using lethal force make final “kill” decisions.

"Killer robots are no longer the stuff of science fiction," Rasha Abdul Rahim, Amnesty International's advisor on artificial intelligence and human rights, said in a statement.

"From artificially intelligent drones to automated guns that can choose their own targets, technological advances in weaponry are far outpacing international law," she said.

"We are calling on states to take concrete steps to halt the spread of these dangerous weapons...before it is too late."

The comments come as the CCW, which is composed of governmental authorities on lethal autonomous weapons systems, embarks on a week-long conference in Geneva.

Despite claims that much has been accomplished since the group’s inaugural conference last year, most countries can’t agree on a course of action when it comes to weapons, and those with the most advanced weaponry (the U.S., Britain, France and Israel), haven’t committed to anything that would limit their use.

Still, as the number of countries calling for an outright ban increases, the CCW is expected to set a plan in motion, either this week or when they meet again in November.

"We are willing and able to take it outside of the UN if it is blocked by consensus," said campaign member Jody Williams, winner of the 1997 Nobel Peace Prize for her work in helping to ban landmines.

Amnesty's Rahim added that "it's not too late to change course."

"A ban on fully autonomous weapons systems could prevent some truly dystopian scenarios."