In order to best answer your question, I will focus only on robots that are capable of making decisions. For example, bombing raids during World War II initially only focused on military targets, but errant bombing raids and their reprisals opened the use of this technology to carpet bomb cities. Further, the use of some technologies may change as the war progresses. Generally, it’s hard to predict how and if a particular technology will be used and the impact that it will have. It is important to point out that, typically, the laws and conventions that govern the use of a technology in war are made after the fact. In some cases, military necessity has been successfully used to justify ignoring the current laws and conventions of war. Broadly, military necessity states that armed forces can do whatever is necessary, given that the action is not currently illegal under humanitarian law, to achieve legitimate military objectives.
On the other hand, military necessity is often invoked as means for justifying certain actions during war. On the one hand, the Hague Conventions, for example, limit the use of chemical and biological warfare. Many of these rules govern the use of technology during war. There are a number of rules and conventions that dictate right from wrong during war. These abilities suggest that using robots in war offers an important tactical advantage, and militaries around the world are making significant investments in robot-related research and development. Autonomous robots, because they are not physiologically limited, can operate without sleep or food, perceive things that people do not, and move in ways that humans cannot. Most people who study these topics believe that recent advances in autonomous robots and artificial intelligence will fundamentally change warfare. The advent of autonomous (self-controlled) robots presents important new questions for those that study robotics and ethics. War has traditionally raised a number of important ethical dilemmas. This research made me wonder, is it OK for a robot to kill in a war? I recently read an article online about something called the “Campaign to Stop Killer Robots.” At first I thought this was a joke but, after looking into it, I read that the group is really working to ban the use of robotic weapons systems.
WAR OF RIGHTS BOTS ARCHIVE
An archive of the columns can be found on the Rock Ethics Institute website. Each article in this column will feature a different ethical question answered by a Penn State ethicist. We invite you to ask a question by filling out and submitting this form. In partnership with the Rock Ethics Institute, Penn State Today’s feature column, "Ask an Ethicist," aims to shed light on ethical questions from our readers.
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