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About

Merel Noorman is a scholar whose work sits at the intersection of technology ethics, philosophy of technology, and the governance of autonomous systems. Her research focuses primarily on questions of moral and legal responsibility as they arise from the deployment of robotic and artificial agent technologies, with particular emphasis on military applications. Noorman's most influential contribution, "Negotiating autonomy and responsibility in military robots" (2014), has garnered 64 citations and examines the complex tensions that emerge when autonomous systems are integrated into high-stakes decision-making contexts, challenging traditional frameworks for assigning accountability. Alongside this, her work on unmanned military technologies and robotic warfare critically interrogates how existing responsibility practices adapt — or fail to adapt — to the realities of drone warfare and semi-autonomous weapons systems. Beyond the military domain, Noorman has demonstrated a broader theoretical sophistication, notably in her critique of human-technology analogies prevalent in artificial intelligence discourse, questioning assumptions that humanizing machines is either a natural or desirable developmental trajectory. Her commentary on the future development of artificial agents further underscores her role as a thoughtful voice in shaping normative frameworks for emerging technologies. Her body of work offers essential reading for scholars grappling with accountability in an increasingly automated world.