The development of new intelligent technologies for military use is already yielding a new stage in the arms race that could have serious implications for peace and security across the globe. Governments, international organizations, civil society, and the scientific community face the challenge of promoting legal, ethical, and moral parameters for the development of Artificial Intelligence for military purposes. This article explores a series of concepts that are relevant to the design and development of autonomous weapons and proposes a series of general (political and ethical) and technical considerations that may lead to effective lines of action in the matter.