The future of war: could lethal autonomous weapons make conflict more ethical?

Umbrello, Steven; Torres, Phil; Bellis, Angelo F. De

doi:10.1007/s00146-019-00879-x

Cited by 23 publications

(7 citation statements)

References 29 publications

(29 reference statements)

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“…It will become particularly constructive to consider the transparency of human actions and motivations in this respect [1,66]. This can be extended similarly to other AI systems such as autonomous weapons systems and the ability for those systems to understand non-verbal commands given by friendly combatants, or even non-friendly ones, such as in cases where enemy combatants or civilians surrender [67][68][69].…”

Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing AI for Explainability and Verifiability: A Value Sensitive Design Approach to Avoid Artificial Stupidity in Autonomous Vehicles

Umbrello

Yampolskiy

2021

Int J of Soc Robotics

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One of the primary, if not most critical, difficulties in the design and implementation of autonomous systems is the black-boxed nature of the decision-making structures and logical pathways. How human values are embodied and actualised in situ may ultimately prove to be harmful if not outright recalcitrant. For this reason, the values of stakeholders become of particular significance given the risks posed by opaque structures of intelligent agents. This paper explores how decision matrix algorithms, via the belief-desire-intention model for autonomous vehicles, can be designed to minimize the risks of opaque architectures. Primarily through an explicit orientation towards designing for the values of explainability and verifiability. In doing so, this research adopts the Value Sensitive Design (VSD) approach as a principled framework for the incorporation of such values within design. VSD is recognized as a potential starting point that offers a systematic way for engineering teams to formally incorporate existing technical solutions within ethical design, while simultaneously remaining pliable to emerging issues and needs. It is concluded that the VSD methodology offers at least a strong enough foundation from which designers can begin to anticipate design needs and formulate salient design flows that can be adapted to the changing ethical landscapes required for utilisation in autonomous vehicles.

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Section: Discussionmentioning

confidence: 99%

Designing AI for Explainability and Verifiability: A Value Sensitive Design Approach to Avoid Artificial Stupidity in Autonomous Vehicles

Umbrello

Yampolskiy

2021

Int J of Soc Robotics

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“…97 Considered in the military context, these insights question the overly optimistic view on AI becoming the ultimate solution for awareness and precision issues. For example, it was suggested that AI could make war 'more ethical' 98 if 'drones could be taught not to shoot at "protected symbols" such as the red cross sign, or not to shoot at children, by being trained not to target people below a certain height' . 99 Quite apart from the technological feasibility of using AI reliably in combat, such understandings do not accommodate the established research on AI vulnerability.…”

Section: Vision Under Attack: Adversarial Examplesmentioning

confidence: 99%

Transcending the fog of war? US military ‘AI’, vision, and the emergent post-scopic regime

Huelss

2024

Eur. j. of int. secur.

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The integration of ‘AI’ technologies into weapon systems introduces a complex dimension to international relations and security, championing technological solutions for enduring warfare challenges, notably enhancing ‘situational awareness’ through advances such as automated ‘vision’. However, the discourse, particularly in Western militaries like that of the United States, often overlooks inherent limitations and issues in AI-based warfare. This paper explores ‘AI’s’ implications for military vision by inter alia scrutinising the US military’s Joint All-Domain Command and Control (JADC2) process. It argues that the US military actively transforms the observation, decision, and action apparatus, progressively substituting human vision and decision-making, leading to a multidimensional de-visualisation. This denotes fundamental changes in human perception, reshaping knowledge, control, and agency dynamics. In conclusion, the paper suggests an imminent era of de-visualisation in the military – a deliberate relinquishment of human control for perceived military efficiency and effectiveness. This marks a transformative shift, urging nuanced consideration of the profound impact of ‘AI’ technologies on warfare dynamics.

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“…As the object of the international law regulation of the MPP circulation should be considered a system of economic relations of a public-law nature between the subjects of international law in the sphere of the MPP circulation. Economic relations in the area of the MPP circulation include trade relations in which a state satisfies its needs for weapons and military equipment by purchasing them from another state 17 .…”

Section: International Law Aspects Of International Circulation Of Military Purpose Products (Mpp)mentioning

confidence: 99%

Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems and International Law

2021

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INTRODUCTION. This research paper presents the authors view on the essence of the problems of modern international law regulation of lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS) and international arms circulation. The authors dwell upon various aspects of new technologies in the field of creating LAWS, outline the prospects for the solution of the current challenges, as well as give a legal assessment of the legality of new types of weapons, methods and means of warfare from the perspective of contemporary international law. The system and mechanisms of international law regulation of the military purpose products circulation are also analyzed in this scientific work.MATERIALS AND METHODS. The subject of this study comprises international treaties, international customs, general principles of international law and national legislation of states. The study also includes the analysis of international acts of different nature, reports and other documents of international organizations, national authorities, scientific and educationalliterature. The methodological basis of this study is a wide range of research methods, namely: formal-legal, formal-logical, comparative-legal and historical-legal. In addition, the researchers apply system, structural and functional methods, as well as methods of analysis and generalization.RESEARCH RESULTS. The result of the study is the conclusion about the perspectives of developing auniversal definition of LAWS, as well as a common approach to understanding their characteristics and parameters of human control, and also about the advantages of LAWS in the course of military operations and solving national security problems of states, primarily in terms of compliance with IHL rules, which all military personnel are required to strictly observe. It is also necessary to take into account the crucial role of the issues of secrecy and national security, while Article 36 of Additional Protocol I does not contain criteria for distinguishing new types of weapons from other types of weapons, for example, from those that have undergone multi-stage modernization. It can be stated that at present there are only separate and insuffi ently effective mechanisms of international law regulation due to their voluntary basis. Therefore, national export control mechanisms are of paramount importance for the process of regulating the circulation of military purpose products, which is an essential element of national sovereignty.DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS. The authors come to the following conclusions: the existing provisions of IHL are fully applicable to LAWS; responsibility for the use of LAWS should be borne by the person who manages the robotic complex or «programs» and gives the order to use LAWS, but the specific forms and methods of human control should remain at the discretion of states; Article 36 of Additional Protocol I provides extremely limited opportunities to prevent the creation of new weapons systems, does not require any reporting and control format; research and development of new types ofweapons are secret, and the acquisition or adoption of obviously or presumably indiscriminate weapons systems are not a violation, but rather a preparation for a violation or an activity of a controversial nature; further improvement of the international law regulation of arms circulation should be developed by creating mandatory universal mechanisms of international law regulation that would prevent the uncontrolled circulation and illegal distribution of weapons, including their sale to terrorists.

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The future of war: could lethal autonomous weapons make conflict more ethical?

Cited by 23 publications

References 29 publications

Designing AI for Explainability and Verifiability: A Value Sensitive Design Approach to Avoid Artificial Stupidity in Autonomous Vehicles

Designing AI for Explainability and Verifiability: A Value Sensitive Design Approach to Avoid Artificial Stupidity in Autonomous Vehicles

Transcending the fog of war? US military ‘AI’, vision, and the emergent post-scopic regime

Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems and International Law

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