Killer Robots as cultural techniques

Abstract

In October 2012 a group of non-governmental organizations formed a Campaign to Stop Killer Robots. The aim of this campaign was to preemptively ban fully autonomous weapons capable of selecting and engaging targets without human intervention. The campaign gained momentum swiftly, leading to different legal and political discussions and decision-makings. In this article, we use the framework of cultural techniques to analyze the different operational processes, tactics, and ethics underlying the debates surrounding developments of autonomous weapon systems. From reading the materials of the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots and focusing on current robotic research in the military context we argue that, instead of demonizing Killer Robots as such, we need to understand the tools, processes and operating procedures that create, support and validate these objects. The framework of cultural techniques help us to analyze how autonomous technologies draw distinctions between life and death, human and machine, culture and technology, and what it means to be in control of these systems in the 21st century.

Armed drones and international humanitarian law

“…Scholars have argued that the use of armed drones in warfare has created numerous ethical challenges (Karppi, Böhlen & Granata 2016;Demir, Cicibas & Arica 2015). Moreover, as noted by the UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary executions, the use of drones for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as for military strikes, has created tremendous legal and political challenges (UNHRC 2014).…”

The Lovelace effect: Perceptions of creativity in machines

“…representational -means, which stimulate users' attributions of creativity to machines. With its recognition of the technical-representational hybridity of AI systems and output, the Lovelace (Geoghegan, 2013;Karppi, 2018).…”

“…Ultimately, we argue that the analysis of the Lovelace effect requires a dual approach that takes into account the weights of both technical and non-technical – that is, representational – means, which stimulate users’ attributions of creativity to machines. With its recognition of the technical–representational hybridity of AI systems and output, the Lovelace effect shows how AI systems also activate the mechanisms of a cultural technique, highlighting technology’s ability to co-shape new ontologies of communication and meaning with their human developers and users (Geoghegan, 2013; Karppi et al, 2018).…”

Promises in the Context of Humanoid Robot Morality

“…Karppi, et al [9] propose that a phrase like "killer robot" must not be understood as a certain kind of robot amenable to a precise definition. Instead "killer robot" is part of a cultural technique which plays a role in some power struggle.…”