September 22, 2016
The Ethics & Morality of Robotic Warfare: Assessing the Debate over Autonomous Weapons
There is growing concern in some quarters that the drones used by the United States and others represent precursors to the further automation of military force through the use of lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS). These weapons, though they do not generally exist today, have already been the subject of multiple discussions at the United Nations. Do autonomous weapons raise unique ethical questions for warfare, with implications for just war theory? This essay describes and assesses the ongoing debate, focusing on the ethical implications of whether autonomous weapons can operate effectively, whether human accountability and responsibility for autonomous weapon systems are possible, and whether delegating life and death decisions to machines inherently undermines human dignity. The concept of LAWS is extremely broad and this essay considers LAWS in three categories: munition, platforms, and operational systems.
Read the full report here.
More from CNAS
-
CNAS Insights
Technology & National Security
CNAS Insights | Sovereign AI’s Second Wave Is Coming Into ViewEarlier this year, CNAS launched the Sovereign AI Index to track every government-backed sovereign AI project since 2023. These projects seek to improve a country’s AI self-re...
By Pablo Chavez, Vivek Chilukuri & Ruby Scanlon
-
Video
Technology & National Security
Is AI All Hype or the Real Deal?Anthony Vinci, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, joins Eyes on Geopolitics to break down the rapidly evolving AI landscape, from China’s grow...
By Anthony Vinci
-
Video
Technology & National Security
Russia Technology Expert Says Ukraine's Drone War Erased the Front Line: Sam BendettSam Bendett, an adviser with CNA's Russia Studies Program, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, and a Senior Associate with the CSIS Europe, Rus...
By Samuel Bendett
-
Congressional Testimony
Technology & National Security
The Economic Cost of Russia’s War in UkraineSamuel Bendett, an adjunct senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security, joins BBC Audio's World Business Report to discuss how the Russia-Ukraine War has transform...
By Samuel Bendett
