I agree that the line between that and automomous weapons is hard to draw. A simpler example is any precision targeted missile or munition. At some point every munition leaves human control, including artillery and bullets.

But is my 1979 calculator artificially intelligent because it can duplicate some cognitive things that I can do? There's a major qualitative difference where we find all the significance in the meaning of AI.

Still, some of the problems with mines, which are illegal or highly discouraged in many situations, are similar to autonomous robotic weapon systems: A fundamental law of war is discrimination between military and civilian targets. Mines are literally indiscriminate, by that legal definition; the worry is that autonomous robotic weapons may be the same. Arguably, they could be more discriminate.

I think one difference is in the 'robotic' aspect of autonomous robotic weapon systems (my terminology): Robots don't need to be mobile, of course, but those with significant mobility seem far riskier and deadlier than mines or artillery. Imagine one that, even from some malfunction, ends up in a city or a refugee camp.