AI IN MILITARY OPERATIONS
Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems: Slaves not Masters! Meaningful Human Control, Saving Lives and Non-Feasibility of a Pre-Emptive Ban
Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS) are currently the subject of a global debate, particularly at the UN, over ethical, moral and legal aspects related to their deployment in future wars. Human rights groups are advocating a pre-emptive ban on their development on the grounds that deployment of LAWS would be in violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This is the final article in a three-piece series focusing on issues which are at the heart of this ongoing debate. The previous two write-ups dwelt on the unique characteristics of LAWS, analysed different positions on their purported violation of IHL, and discussed various nuances of Autonomy and Unpredictability. This piece will examine the important notion of Meaningful Human Control (MHC), and also bring out how employment of LAWS may in fact lead to saving of human lives. The pros and cons of a pre-emptive ban on LAWS vis-à-vis a binding regulation on their development will also be discussed.
Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems: Slaves not Masters! Conflict Scenarios, Autonomy and Unpredictability
AI-powered weapon systems are soon expected to acquire the capability to “select and kill” targets without human intervention. Such systems are widely referred to as Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS), sensationally dubbed as “killer robots”. A raging debate is on globally, particularly at the UN, over the ethical, moral and legal aspects of deploying LAWS in future wars, with human rights groups advocating a pre-emptive ban on their development. This is the second of three articles in a series which discusses issues which are at the heart of this ongoing debate. The first article discussed the unique characteristics of LAWS, and why these are viewed as being in violation of the International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This piece begins with an analysis of whether or not LAWS actually violate IHL principles against the backdrop of three typical warfighting scenarios. It goes on to discuss some noteworthy nuances of Autonomy in LAWS, the intriguing feature of Unpredictability in AI-powered systems, and the need for caution while attempting to make the critical “select and engage” function autonomous.
Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems: Slaves not Masters! “Killer Robots” and International Humanitarian Law
Increasing levels of autonomy are being incorporated in AI-powered weapon systems on the modern battlefield, which are soon expected to acquire the capability to “select and kill” targets without human intervention. Such systems are widely referred to as Lethal Autonomous Weapon Systems (LAWS), sensationally dubbed as “killer robots”. As a reaction to these developments a raging debate is on globally, particularly at the UN, over the ethical, moral and legal aspects of deploying fully autonomous weapon systems in future wars. Human rights groups are advocating a pre-emptive ban on their development on the grounds that employment of LAWS would be in violation of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). This work, comprising of three articles, discusses issues which are at the heart of this ongoing debate. In this first article, a brief tour is given of relevant literature on the subject, the unique characteristics of LAWS, and why these are viewed as being in violation of IHL.
Disruptive Military Technologies: An Overview – Part I
Cutting edge technologies whose manifestation on the battlefield is expected to have a significant impact on the nature of warfare, are often referred to as disruptive military technologies. At this point in time, potentially disruptive technologies include ICT, IW, AI & robotics, quantum, nano and hypersonic weapons, amongst several others. The impact of some of these technologies on the 21st Century battlespace is expected to be very profound, and may even revolutionise warfare. This three-part series attempts to examine whether India is sufficiently geared up to leverage these technologies for building up our comprehensive military power in tune with our geopolitical aspirations. In Part I, a classification of disruptive military technologies based on their expected degree of impact on warfare is first presented. Thereafter, a brief look is taken on the global R&D status of AI & robotics and quantum technologies, as also the initiatives being taken by India in these areas.
Artificial Intelligence in Military Operations: An Overview – Part II
This is the second of a two-part article which focuses on development and fielding of LAWS against the backdrop of rapid advances in the field of AI. Here, international as well as Indian perspectives are given out on the current status and future prospects for development and deployment of LAWS. This part reviews the status of AI technology in India, assesses the current capability of the Indian Army (IA) to adapt to this technology, and suggest steps which need to be taken on priority to ensure that Indian defence forces keep pace with other advanced armies in the race to usher in a new AI-triggered Revolution in Military Affairs (RMA).
Artificial Intelligence in Military Operations: An Overview – Part I
Artificial Intelligence (AI) technologies hold great promise for facilitating military decisions, minimizing human causalities and enhancing the combat potential of forces. This is especially true in a wartime environment, when data availability is high, decision periods are short, and decision effectiveness is an absolute necessity. This two-part article focuses on development and fielding of LAWS against the backdrop of rapid advances in the field of AI, and its relevance to the Indian security scenario. This first part reviews the status of AI technology, gives a broad overview of the possible military applications of this technology and brings out the main legal and ethical issues involved in the current ongoing debate on development of LAWS.