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Lethal Autonomous Weapons: Re-Examining the Law and Ethics of Robotic Warfare

Online ISBN:
9780197546079
Print ISBN:
9780197546048
Publisher:
Oxford University Press
Book

Lethal Autonomous Weapons: Re-Examining the Law and Ethics of Robotic Warfare

Jai Galliott (ed.),
Jai Galliott
(ed.)
Senior Lecturer and Research Leader, Values in Defense & Security Technology Group, Australian Defence Force Academy
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Duncan MacIntosh (ed.),
Duncan MacIntosh
(ed.)
Professor of Philosophy, Dalhousie University
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Jens David Ohlin (ed.)
Jens David Ohlin
(ed.)
Vice Dean, Professor of Law, Cornell Law School
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Published online:
22 April 2021
Published in print:
12 June 2021
Online ISBN:
9780197546079
Print ISBN:
9780197546048
Publisher:
Oxford University Press

Abstract

The question of whether new rules or regulations are required to govern, restrict, or even prohibit the use of autonomous weapons systems has been the subject of debate for the better part of a decade. Despite the claims of advocacy groups, the way ahead remains unclear since the international community has yet to agree on a specific definition of Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems, and the great powers have largely refused to support an effective ban. In this vacuum, the public has been presented with a heavily one-sided view of “Killer Robots.” This volume presents a more nuanced approach to autonomous weapon systems that recognizes the need to progress beyond a discourse framed by the Terminator and HAL 9000. Reshaping the discussion around this emerging military innovation requires a new line of thought and a willingness to challenge the orthodoxy. Lethal Autonomous Weapons: Re-Examining the Law and Ethics of Robotic Warfare therefore focuses on exploring the moral and legal issues associated with the design, development, and deployment of lethal autonomous weapons. In this volume, we bring together some of the most prominent academics and academic-practitioners in the lethal autonomous weapons space and seek to return some balance to the debate. As part of this effort, we recognize that society needs to invest in hard conversations that tackle the ethics, morality, and law of these new digital technologies and understand the human role in their creation and operation.

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