Autonomous Weapons: Are You Sure These Are Killer Robots? Can We Talk About It?

摘要

The rise of autonomous weapons understandably creates concern for the international community, as it is impossible to predict exactly what will happen with the technology. Yet the emergence of a new means of warfare is not a unique phenomenon and is assumed within the Law of Armed Conflict.The international community has seen the cost of prohibitive regimes that deny the reality of necessity in the development of aerial bombardment. Further, those exploring the idea of autonomous weapons are sensitive not only to their legal obligations, but also to the various ethical and moral questions surrounding the technology.Joining the drive for technology with the drive for humanity can only improve both, while a divergence of the two could cause a repetition of past calamities. Rather than attempting to preemptively ban autonomous weapons before understanding the technology's potential, efforts should be made to pool the collective intellectual resources of scholars and practitioners to develop a road forward. Perhaps this would be the first step to a more comprehensive and assertive approach to addressing the other pressing issues of modern warfare.