“Friend of Humans”: an Argument for Developing Autonomous Weapons Systems
“Friend of Humans”: An Argument for Developing Autonomous Weapons Systems Christopher P. Toscano* “New eras don’t come about because of swords; they’re created by the people who wield them.” ― Nobuhiro Watsuki * Lieutenant Commander Toscano is an active-duty Navy Judge Advocate and 2014 LLM Graduate of the George Washington University Law School. The author would like to thank Judge Wallach, CAPT Raul “Pete” Pedrozo, CAPT Stephanie M. Smart, COL Marc Warren, CDR Robert Passerello, CDR Susan McGarvey, CDR James Benoit, and Professors Dan Richard and Peter Raven-Hansen for their contributions to this article. The author would also like to thank his wife, Aki, for her enduring support: 本当にありがとう愛貴ちゃん!The positions and opinions expressed in this article are those of the author and do not represent the views of the United States Government, the Department of Defense, or the United States Navy. 1 Introduction1 With the introduction of robots2 to the battlefield, critics and activists have raised doubts that echo a long history of opposition to landmines, aviation, submarines, and nuclear technologies.3 War, however, is unavoidable, and weapons technology advancement is an inevitable consequence. Humanity’s inability to live at peace has led combatants to seek enhanced weapons and strategies to defeat their adversaries more effectively.4 More advanced weaponry never reduces humanity’s propensity for violence. As Clausewitz notes, “[t]he tendency to destroy the adversary, which lies at the bottom of the conception of War, is in no way changed or modified through the progress of civilization.”5 While this tendency is a sad commentary on human nature, weapons development also provides a hidden opportunity to safeguard against unnecessary destruction and loss of life.
[Show full text]