Sonia McNeil

About

Sonia McNeil is a leading scholar in the ethics and governance of emerging military technologies, with a sharp focus on the distinction between automation and true autonomy in weapons systems. Her foundational work, particularly the 2012 paper “Understanding ‘The Loop’: Regulating the Next Generation of War Machines” (11 citations), dissects the critical difference between automated functions and autonomous decision-making by mapping machine operations onto Boyd’s OODA loop. In a companion piece (10 citations), McNeil further explores how system-level decision-making challenges existing legal and ethical frameworks. Together, these papers provide a clear, actionable vocabulary for policymakers and engineers, clarifying when human operators retain meaningful control. Though her citation counts reflect a niche but highly influential audience, her conceptual contributions have shaped debates on lethal autonomous weapons at forums like the UN’s Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons. McNeil’s work remains essential reading for anyone grappling with the regulatory and moral implications of next-generation war machines.

Research Focus

Key Achievements

Top Papers

1. 1
   Understanding "The Loop": Regulating the Next Generation of War Machines

   11 citations · 2012
2. 2
   Understanding 'The Loop': Autonomy, System Decision-Making, and the Next Generation of War Machines

   10 citations · 2012

Key Collaborators

Contact & Links