Autonomous Weapons Systems and Jus ad Bellum

Question 1

Autonomous Weapons Systems

Answer 1

systems that are able to identify, select, and attack the target without human interaction

Question 2

Ethical Points of Discussion regarding Autonomous Weapons Systems

Answer 2

the locus of repsonsibility when AWS use goes wrong

the loss of dignity implied by the decision to delegate the decision to kill to artificial agents

the nature of meaningful human control over AWS

whether AWS can be used in a way that complies with the principles of international humanitarian laws

Question 3

Just War Theory

Answer 3

two sets of ethical principles that provide criteria for determining

1. when the use of force in armed conflict is morally justified (Jus ad Bellum)
2. the rules for conducting war ethically (Jus in Bello)

Question 4

Jus ad Bellum - Four conditions for a war to be considered fully justified

Answer 4

1. War must be conducted for a just cause.
2. War must be declared by a legitimate authority.
3. Costs of war must be proportionate to the goals sought.
4. War must be undertaken as a last resort.

Question 5

Jus in Bello Principles (First Three Mentioned in Paper)

Answer 5

1. Proportionality - use of force should be proportional to the military objectives pursued.
2. Distinction - involved parties must distinguish between combatants and non-combatants
3. Necessity - use of force should be necessary to achieve a legitimate military objective
4. Humanity - all individuals must be treated humanely when possible

Question 6

Effects of AWS in terms of Starting Wars

Answer 6

AWS may reduce the economic and human costs of war, thus reducing the threshold for going to war and increasing the incidence of war

AWS may provide propagandistic value and embolden political leaders to lead an otherwise unwilling population to war

Question 7

Ad bellum proportionality

Answer 7

For a war to be considered just there must be an overall proportionate relationship between the destruction caused by the war and the good the war will do.

These destruction must include both material and moral costs.

However, these costs are estimated and their calculation thus includes a number of indeterminacies and unknowing quantities, which makes the principle lose some importance.

Question 8

Limitations of the idea that AWS will lead to more ad bellum proportionality

Answer 8

difficulty of computing ad bellum proportionality

confusing the concept of proportionality of effects with the precision of weapons systems

disregarding the ever-changing nature of war and of its ethical implications

less lives may be lost but moral costs may increase

immense difficulty in estimating the net effects of a new technology

one war might cause other conflicts, and this fact is usually close to impossible to predict

Question 9

Conclusion on the argument against AWS on basis of proportionality

Answer 9

argument is premised on a commonsense understanding of proportionality rather than a rigorous application of Just War principles

thus, it trivialises the complexity of proportionality calculations and overlooks the dynamic nature of war

both those who argue for and against AWS on the grounds of their proportionality assume an unchanging idea of war along which fluctuating incidences of war can be modelled and upon which a static ethics of war can be based

Question 10

Impacts of Technologies on the Nature of War

Answer 10

technologies of war themselves generate transformations in the nature of war and thus the ethics of war

technological innovation has always lead to a revaluation not just of how the principles of Just War are applied but also of how they are interpreted

Technological innovation does not generate straightforward new ethical problems within the boundaries of an unchanging idea of war

Rather, new ethical problems arise because of the way that technological innovation first impacts our understanding of war

Question 11

Symmetry of Risk in War and Drones

Answer 11

the introduction of drones spurred the debate over the age-old conception of war as entailing a contest comprised of two sets of opposing combatants experiencing mutual risk

although warfare never completely entailed symmetry of risk, commentators have argued that since drones completely avoid the risks for the combatant, they can not be reconciled with the traditional conception of war

thus, drones represent a distinct nature of war and the ethical principles of war may be inapplicable to their use, potentially leading to the creation of new principles or different ways to apply them

Question 12

Political Leaders’ Power vs. Just War Principles

Answer 12

whether or not the Just War principles are breached depends largely on the the ability and willingness of political leaders to abide by these principles uncompromisingly, not just on the practicability of the principles themselves

new technologies such as AWS may play a part in forming or influencing judgements to do with going to war

Question 13

Conclusion

Answer 13

discussed objections are conceptually unsound but point to the way that instruments of war can contribute to war under the influence of myths

they also risk being misleading in assessing the ethical impacts of AWS and deciding upon and regulating their use

ad bellum principles are not the best for tackling the ethical problems generated by AWS

it is essential to understand the way AWS transform the nature of war itself before we can discuss the ethical problems they raise