Military Technology Debate

December 7, 2021

00:00:00

Military Technology Debate

Be it resolved, autonomous weapons will make warfare more humane.

Trillions of dollars each year are poured into developing new technologies that redefine the art of war. And the next frontier of military technology will bring the world of science fiction into reality: fully autonomous weapons. Supporters of autonomous weapons argue that it is imperative that we develop artificial intelligence capable of making tough decisions at an extraordinary speed. They argue that this new technology will limit civilian casualties and avoid human error that inevitably costs lives. They argue that these weapons will be necessary to combat hostile governments, and failing to invest in the future of warfare is an existential threat to the international order. Without them, we risk a future of greater violence and fewer freedoms.

But there is another camp that feels the risk of these weapons is far too great for anyone to possess. They argue that the human cost of war serves as a deterrent, and without that deterrent, war will become more common and more brutal. Fully autonomous weapons will make it easier and cheaper to kill people, creating more death and destruction than is absolutely necessary. They argue machines are incapable of fully understanding the value of a human life, and life and death decisions must not be left to AI. The only answer is for the use of autonomous weapons to be banned entirely.

“I think very strongly that autonomy has made warfare more humane already and will make it even more so in the future.”

– Bob Work

“Making warfare more humane would be to reduce warfare and conflict. And by the very nature of automating warfare you are encouraging more conflict and more warfare because it’s going to be cheaper.”

– Peter Asaro