diff --git a/keras/layers/layer.py b/keras/layers/layer.py
index a7e23ef74..069fe3dd7 100644
--- a/keras/layers/layer.py
+++ b/keras/layers/layer.py
@@ -445,8 +445,8 @@ class Layer(BackendLayer, Operation):
 
     def add_weight(
         self,
-        shape,
-        initializer,
+        shape=None,
+        initializer=None,
         dtype=None,
         trainable=True,
         regularizer=None,
@@ -458,12 +458,19 @@ class Layer(BackendLayer, Operation):
         Args:
             shape: Shape tuple for the variable.
                 Must be fully-defined (no `None` entries).
+                Defaults to `()` (scalar) if unspecified.
             initializer: Initializer object to use to
                 populate the initial variable value,
                 or string name of a built-in initializer
-                (e.g. `"random_normal"`).
+                (e.g. `"random_normal"`). If unspecified,
+                defaults to `"glorot_uniform"`
+                for floating-point variables and to `"zeros"`
+                for all other types (e.g. int, bool).
             dtype: Dtype of the variable to create,
-                e.g. `"float32"`.
+                e.g. `"float32"`. If unspecified,
+                defaults to the layer's
+                variable dtype (which itself defaults to
+                `"float32"` if unspecified).
             trainable: Boolean, whether the variable should
                 be trainable via backprop or whether its
                 updates are managed manually.
@@ -474,12 +481,23 @@ class Layer(BackendLayer, Operation):
                 for debugging purposes.
         """
         self._check_super_called()
+        if shape is None:
+            shape = ()
+        if dtype is not None:
+            dtype = backend.standardize_dtype(dtype)
+        else:
+            dtype = self.variable_dtype
+        if initializer is None:
+            if "float" in dtype:
+                initializer = "glorot_uniform"
+            else:
+                initializer = "zeros"
         initializer = initializers.get(initializer)
         with backend.name_scope(self.name, caller=self):
             variable = backend.Variable(
                 initializer=initializer,
                 shape=shape,
-                dtype=dtype or self.variable_dtype,
+                dtype=dtype,
                 trainable=trainable,
                 name=name,
             )
diff --git a/keras/layers/layer_test.py b/keras/layers/layer_test.py
index 527758838..0459fd0ab 100644
--- a/keras/layers/layer_test.py
+++ b/keras/layers/layer_test.py
@@ -813,3 +813,35 @@ class LayerTest(testing.TestCase):
 
         layer = MyLayer()
         self.assertEqual(len(layer.weights), 1)
+
+    def test_add_weight_defaults(self):
+        class MyLayer(layers.Layer):
+            def __init__(self):
+                super().__init__()
+                self.w1 = self.add_weight()
+                self.w2 = self.add_weight(dtype="int32")
+                self.w3 = self.add_weight(dtype="bool")
+                self.w4 = self.add_weight(dtype="int32", shape=(2, 2))
+                self.w5 = self.add_weight(initializer="ones", shape=(2, 2))
+
+        layer = MyLayer()
+        self.assertEqual(layer.w1.shape, ())
+        self.assertEqual(layer.w1.dtype, "float32")
+
+        self.assertEqual(layer.w2.shape, ())
+        self.assertEqual(layer.w2.dtype, "int32")
+        self.assertAllClose(backend.convert_to_numpy(layer.w2), 0)
+
+        self.assertEqual(layer.w3.shape, ())
+        self.assertEqual(layer.w3.dtype, "bool")
+        self.assertAllClose(backend.convert_to_numpy(layer.w3), False)
+
+        self.assertEqual(layer.w4.shape, (2, 2))
+        self.assertEqual(layer.w4.dtype, "int32")
+        self.assertAllClose(
+            backend.convert_to_numpy(layer.w4), np.zeros((2, 2))
+        )
+
+        self.assertEqual(layer.w5.shape, (2, 2))
+        self.assertEqual(layer.w5.dtype, "float32")
+        self.assertAllClose(backend.convert_to_numpy(layer.w5), np.ones((2, 2)))