Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Contextual Nature of <i>Hors de Combat</i> Status
Autonomous weapons systems (AWS), sometimes referred to as “killer robots”, are receiving ever more attention, both in public discourse as well as by scholars and policymakers. Much of this interest is connected to emerging ethical and legal problems linked to increasing autonomy in weapons systems,...
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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MDPI AG
2021-05-01
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| Series: | Information |
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| Online Access: | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/12/5/216 |
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| author | Steven Umbrello Nathan Gabriel Wood |
| author_facet | Steven Umbrello Nathan Gabriel Wood |
| author_sort | Steven Umbrello |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Autonomous weapons systems (AWS), sometimes referred to as “killer robots”, are receiving ever more attention, both in public discourse as well as by scholars and policymakers. Much of this interest is connected to emerging ethical and legal problems linked to increasing autonomy in weapons systems, but there is a general underappreciation for the ways in which existing law might impact on these new technologies. In this paper, we argue that as AWS become more sophisticated and increasingly more capable than flesh-and-blood soldiers, it will increasingly be the case that such soldiers are “in the power” of those AWS which fight against them. This implies that such soldiers ought to be considered <i>hors de combat</i>, and not targeted. In arguing for this point, we draw out a broader conclusion regarding <i>hors de combat</i> status, namely that it must be viewed contextually, with close reference to the capabilities of combatants on both sides of any discreet engagement. Given this point, and the fact that AWS may come in many shapes and sizes, and can be made for many different missions, we argue that each particular AWS will likely need its own standard for when enemy soldiers are deemed <i>hors de combat</i>. We conclude by examining how these nuanced views of <i>hors de combat</i> status might impact on meaningful human control of AWS. |
| first_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:13:22Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-87adafb5498b4bc3b8ed1d52c04b94c1 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 2078-2489 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-03-10T11:13:22Z |
| publishDate | 2021-05-01 |
| publisher | MDPI AG |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Information |
| spelling | doaj.art-87adafb5498b4bc3b8ed1d52c04b94c12023-11-21T20:38:48ZengMDPI AGInformation2078-24892021-05-0112521610.3390/info12050216Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Contextual Nature of <i>Hors de Combat</i> StatusSteven Umbrello0Nathan Gabriel Wood1Department of Philosophy and Educational Sciences, University of Turin, 10124 Turin, ItalyDepartment of Philosophy and Moral Sciences, Ghent University, Blandijnberg 2, 9000 Gent, BelgiumAutonomous weapons systems (AWS), sometimes referred to as “killer robots”, are receiving ever more attention, both in public discourse as well as by scholars and policymakers. Much of this interest is connected to emerging ethical and legal problems linked to increasing autonomy in weapons systems, but there is a general underappreciation for the ways in which existing law might impact on these new technologies. In this paper, we argue that as AWS become more sophisticated and increasingly more capable than flesh-and-blood soldiers, it will increasingly be the case that such soldiers are “in the power” of those AWS which fight against them. This implies that such soldiers ought to be considered <i>hors de combat</i>, and not targeted. In arguing for this point, we draw out a broader conclusion regarding <i>hors de combat</i> status, namely that it must be viewed contextually, with close reference to the capabilities of combatants on both sides of any discreet engagement. Given this point, and the fact that AWS may come in many shapes and sizes, and can be made for many different missions, we argue that each particular AWS will likely need its own standard for when enemy soldiers are deemed <i>hors de combat</i>. We conclude by examining how these nuanced views of <i>hors de combat</i> status might impact on meaningful human control of AWS.https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/12/5/216autonomous weaponsmeaningful human controlhors de combat statuskiller robotsmilitary ethics |
| spellingShingle | Steven Umbrello Nathan Gabriel Wood Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Contextual Nature of <i>Hors de Combat</i> Status Information autonomous weapons meaningful human control hors de combat status killer robots military ethics |
| title | Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Contextual Nature of <i>Hors de Combat</i> Status |
| title_full | Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Contextual Nature of <i>Hors de Combat</i> Status |
| title_fullStr | Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Contextual Nature of <i>Hors de Combat</i> Status |
| title_full_unstemmed | Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Contextual Nature of <i>Hors de Combat</i> Status |
| title_short | Autonomous Weapons Systems and the Contextual Nature of <i>Hors de Combat</i> Status |
| title_sort | autonomous weapons systems and the contextual nature of i hors de combat i status |
| topic | autonomous weapons meaningful human control hors de combat status killer robots military ethics |
| url | https://www.mdpi.com/2078-2489/12/5/216 |
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