Robotics, Autonomous Systems and Contemporary International Security by Ash Rossiter

Author:Ash Rossiter [Rossiter, Ash]
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9780367623746
Google: LMyszQEACAAJ
Barnesnoble:
Goodreads: 54613972
Publisher: Routledge
Published: 2020-11-30T00:00:00+00:00

Target identification

As presented earlier, much of the debates surrounding the development of autonomous drones focus on the human-machine interface ignoring the more fundamental issue of target identification. Similarly, argumentations around human dignity focus on individuals being treated as objects without exploring why certain individuals are targeted. Yet, for the use of force to be considered morally just and lawful, it ought to respect certain criteria. As Michael Walzer remarks: ‘war is always judged twice, first with reference to the reasons states have for fighting, secondly with reference to the means they adopt.’51 In the context of exploring the use of LAWS, it is this latter assessment focussing on jus in bello that is of importance. This set of criteria judges the way war is fought and is generally conceived as having two central criteria: distinction and proportionality. Distinction sets ‘how those victims of war who can be attacked and killed are to be distinguished from those who cannot’52 whereas proportionality balances the benefits and consequences of the use of force.

Too often, the newness of technology overshadows more fundamental issues in the use of force. New weapons are developed but the same ‘old’ problems remain. Key matters to be explored and assessed in the use of force can be summarised to the law of armed conflict’s four basic principles of distinction, proportionality, military necessity, and humanity. Though all these principles are essential and important, distinction often underpins the implementation of the others – the proportionality calculations of the use of force will depend on who or what is the intended target for example. With the development of autonomous drones, debates on the human-machine interface and human dignity have overshadowed the more fundamental issue of target identification. Albeit the nature of the human-machine interface will indeed need to be defined and questions of accountability will need to be answered, they are secondary to the programming and functioning of the autonomous weapons, including the criteria on which the use of force is based. As argued earlier, objections to autonomous weapons on grounds of human dignity focus on the objectification of targeted individuals, without exploring why certain individuals are identified as legitimate targets in the first place.

International law, and therefore target identification to a certain extent, was explored during the 2018 CCE GGE meeting. Alongside discussions on the categorisation of LAWS, the human element in the use of force, and military applications of technology, the GGE explored the humanitarian and security challenges brought by LAWS.53 The discussions ultimately stated that the law of armed conflict applies to all weapons, including autonomous ones54 and therefore ‘as IHL [international humanitarian law] is fully applicable to potential lethal autonomous weapons systems a view was also expressed that no further legal measures were needed.’55 However, this is not sufficient since it assumes that there are no issues with the way legitimate targets are identified in contemporary conflict, which is not the case.

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