I don’t think limiting autonomous weapons helps prevent an AI from building autonomous weapons in secret. But building autonomous weapons does little to make the situation better either.
Suppose an AI was building autonomous weapons in secret. This would involve some of the most advanced technology currently available. It would need to construct a sophisticated factory in a secret location, or else hide it in a shell company. The first would be very unlikely, the second is plausible, though still less likely. Better regulation and examination of weapons manufacturers could help mitigate this problem.
I don’t think limiting autonomous weapons helps prevent an AI from building autonomous weapons in secret. But building autonomous weapons does little to make the situation better either.
Suppose an AI was building autonomous weapons in secret. This would involve some of the most advanced technology currently available. It would need to construct a sophisticated factory in a secret location, or else hide it in a shell company. The first would be very unlikely, the second is plausible, though still less likely. Better regulation and examination of weapons manufacturers could help mitigate this problem.