Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (LAWS) are a relatively new subject of discussion at the United Nations. In this working paper we differentiate four types of robots: controlled, supervised, autonomous and innovative robots, thus making it possible to move forward by further restricting and clarifying what the usual terminology describes as "appropriate" or "meaningful" human supervision. In particular, innovative LAWS raise a variety of perplexing legal and ethical issues, since a machine is a complex set of circuits that can never become a truly morally responsible agent. Technical progress in the military field is advancing at a rapid pace. It has not been accompanied, however, by an ethical and legal framework capable of successfully facing the challenges of today's world. Vital decisions, which must be taken by human persons, cannot be delegated to objects. From this point of view, LAWS and any form of highly innovative armed robots are a contradiction to this requirement.
While ways of intrusively augmenting the performance of soldiers have existed for a long time, it is the elimination of an absolute reference to the human nature that is once again problematic. Our overarching ethical criticism rests fundamentally on a dehumanization and de-responsibilization of the action of the human agent. Eventually, the difference between soldiers and their equipment is erased and they become equipment themselves. Effectively, they lose their freedom of decision. We need to be careful that augmentation does not transform soldiers into unconscientious "cyber puppets".
One of the objectives of this publication is to provoke a debate to develop an informed position in order to establish a common understanding of LAWS and augmented soldiers since they have implications and consequences on the entire human family. Therefore, the "ethical check list" outlined in this paper could be food for thought. This profound attention to the human person, this respect for his/her own limitations, considered as assets, could lead to the establishment of a framework underpinning future discussions concerning the evaluation of these new military technologies, without disregarding those advances in science and technology that could guarantee health, well-being and peace.
Photo Credit: UN Geneva
