A Critical Analysis of Existing Legal Frameworks Governing Artificial Intelligence in Cyber Warfare

This dissertation critically examines the evolving legal and constitutional challenges posed by Artificial Intelligence (AI) in the domain of cyber warfare with particular focus on India and the international legal framework. It explores how AI-enabled cyber operations are transforming modern warfare by enabling autonomous decision-making, cyber-attacks on critical infrastructure, data-driven military strategies, thereby raising serious concerns regarding accountability, proportionality, privacy, humanitarian protection. The study analyses the adequacy of existing laws including International Humanitarian Law (IHL), the Information Technology Act, constitutional safeguards under Articles 14, 19, and 21 of the Constitution of India, global regulatory mechanisms such as the Geneva Conventions, Tallinn Manual, CCW-GGE principles. Through doctrinal and comparative analysis, the dissertation identifies major legal and ethical gaps in regulating autonomous systems and proposes reforms aimed at ensuring meaningful human control, state accountability, protection of fundamental rights and development of a comprehensive legal framework capable of addressing the complexities of AI-enabled cyber warfare in the modern era