Ethics, War, and Robots

Abstract

There has been a rapid proliferation of the use of robots in warfare in recent years, and the United States military (which accounts for ∼40% of global military spending) has made further roboticization a priority within its research and development program. In this chapter, Patrick Lin, Keith Abney, and George Bekey review the state of robots within warfare and survey the wide array of legal and ethical issues raised by them. These include issues related to conducting a just war and determining responsibility for events in war, as well as issues related to the effects of the widespread use of robots on those involved in war and on society more generally. The authors argue that these technologies warrant a great deal more attention than they currently receive, given both the nature of them and the pace at which they are emerging.