Autonomous Weapons Systems: Law, Ethics, Policy

doi:10.1017/CBO9781316597873

The intense and polemical debate over the legality and morality of weapons systems to which human cognitive functions are delegated (up to and including the capacity to select targets and release weapons without further human intervention) addresses a phenomena which does not yet exist but which is widely claimed to be emergent. This groundbreaking collection combines contributions from roboticists, legal scholars, philosophers and sociologists of science in order to recast the debate in a manner that clarifies key areas and articulates questions for future research. The contributors develop insights with direct policy relevance, including who bears responsibility for autonomous weapons systems, whether they would violate fundamental ethical and legal norms, and how to regulate their development. It is essential reading for those concerned about this emerging phenomenon and its consequences for the future of humanity.

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Contents

Frontmatter
pp i-iv
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Contents
pp v-vii
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List of contributors
pp viii-ix
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Acknowledgements
pp x-x
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PART I - Introduction
pp 1-2
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1 - Autonomous weapons systems: living a dignified life and dying a dignified death
pp 3-20
- By Christof Heyns, University of Pretoria
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PART II - Meanings of autonomy and human cognition under automation
pp 21-22
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2 - Staying in the loop: human supervisory control of weapons
pp 23-38
- By Noel Sharkey, University of Sheffield
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3 - The autonomy of technological systems and responsibilities for their use
pp 39-74
- By Giovanni Sartor, University of Bologna, Andrea Omicini, University of Bologna
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4 - Human–machine autonomies
pp 75-102
- By Jutta Weber, University of Paderborn, Lucy Suchman, University of Lancaster
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PART III - Autonomous weapons systems and human dignity
pp 103-104
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5 - Are autonomous weapons systems a threat to human dignity?
pp 105-121
- By Dieter Birnbacher, University of Düsseldorf
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6 - On banning autonomous weapons systems: from deontological to wide consequentialist reasons
pp 122-142
- By Guglielmo Tamburrini, University of Naples Federico II
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PART IV - Risk, transparency and legal compliance in the regulation of autonomous weapons systems
pp 143-144
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7 - Judgment, liability and the risks of riskless warfare
pp 145-163
- By Pablo Kalmanovitz, Universidad de Los Andes, Bogotá
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8 - Autonomous weapons systems and transparency: towards an international dialogue
pp 164-184
- By Sarah Knuckey, Columbia Law School
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9 - A human touch: autonomous weapons, DoD Directive 3000.09 and the interpretation of ‘appropriate levels of human judgment over the use of force’
pp 185-208
- By Dan Saxon, Leiden University College
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10 - Autonomous weapons systems: managing the inevitability of ‘taking the man out of the loop’
pp 209-242
- By Geoffrey S. Corn, South Texas College of Law
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PART V - New frameworks for collective responsibility
pp 243-244
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11 - The obligation to exercise discretion in warfare: why autonomous weapons systems are unlawful
pp 245-283
- By Eliav Lieblich, Radzyner Law School, Eyal Benvenisti, Tel Aviv University Faculty of Law
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12 - Autonomy and uncertainty: increasingly autonomous weapons systems and the international legal regulation of risk
pp 284-300
- By Nehal Bhuta, European University Institute, Stavros-Evdokimos Pantazopoulos, European University Institute
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PART VI - New frameworks for individual responsibility
pp 301-302
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13 - Autonomous weapons systems: new frameworks for individual responsibility
pp 303-324
- By Neha Jain, University of Minnesota Law School
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14 - Refining responsibility: differentiating two types of responsibility issues raised by autonomous weapons systems
pp 325-344
- By Hin-Yan Liu, University of Copenhagen
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PART VII - Conclusion
pp 345-346
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15 - Present futures: concluding reflections and open questions on autonomous weapons systems
pp 347-383
- By Nehal Bhuta, European University Institute, Susanne Beck, Leibniz University of Hanover, Robin Geiß, University of Glasgow Law School
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Index
pp 384-410
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Autonomous Weapons Systems

Law, Ethics, Policy

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