Elke Schwarz

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About

Elke Schwarz is a leading scholar in the ethics of military technology, with a focus on the intersection of violence, automation, and political theory. Her most-cited work, "Death machines" (2018, 37 citations), critically examines how innovations in autonomous weapons—from lethal drones to "killer robots"—outpace ethical debates, questioning whether these technologies can ever be truly moral tools for counterterrorism. Schwarz challenges the reduction of complex moral decisions to algorithmic frameworks, a theme she deepens in her recent piece "Trolleyology: Algorithmic Ethics for Killer Robots" (2024), which critiques the oversimplified ethical models used to justify autonomous violence. Her research exposes how these technologies reshape political accountability and human agency, drawing on continental philosophy and critical security studies. Schwarz’s work is pivotal for students and researchers grappling with the urgent ethical dilemmas of modern warfare, offering a rigorous, human-centered critique that bridges theory and practice. Her contributions have made her a vital voice in debates on drone warfare, autonomous systems, and the future of military ethics.