Autonomous Weapons Systems - Death by Algorithm

Minotaur Warfare feat. Robert Sparrow

Robert Sparrow is a philosophical pioneer in the field of autonomous weapons. We discuss the current debate and the development since his famous articles "Killer Robots" and "Robots and Respect" were published. We explore the notion of male in se - evil in itself, and Rob presents his idea of Minotaur Warfighting or AI commanders. Rob also gives his perspectives on the black box, meaningful human control, programming ethics into machines and the value of fundamental human respect and recognition in war. Shownotes: Producer and host: Sune With, sunewith@cas.au.dk Cover art: Sebastian Gram -       Dige, Morten, 2012, ”EXPLAINING THE PRINCIPLE OF MALA IN SE”, Journal of Military Ethics, 11:4, 318-332 -       Orend, Brian, 2016, "War", The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy (Spring 2016 Edition), Edward N. Zalta (ed.) https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2016/entries/war/ - 2.2 [https://plato.stanford.edu/archives/spr2016/entries/war/#2.2]   -       Scharre, Paul, 2016, ”Centaur warfighting: the false choice of humans vs. Automation”. Temp. Int'l & Comp. LJ, 30, 151-165.   -       Scharre, Paul, 2018, ”Army of none: Autonomous weapons and the future of war”. WW Norton & Company. SHAPE, 2025, ”⁠NATO ACQUIRES AI-ENABLED WARFIGHTING SYSTEM”, NATO (Accessed April 14, 2025).  https://shape.nato.int/news-releases/nato-acquires-aienabled-warfighting-system- [https://shape.nato.int/news-releases/nato-acquires-aienabled-warfighting-system-]   -       Sparrow, Robert, 2016, ”Robots and Respect: Assessing the Case Against Autonomous Weapon Systems”, Ethics & International Affairs, 30, no. 1 (2016), pp. 93-116.   -       Sparrow, Robert, 2007, ”Killer Robots”, Journal of Applied Philosophy, Vol. 24, No. 1, pp. 62-77.   -       Sparrow, Robert, 2021. ”Why machines cannot be moral” AI & Society: Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Communication. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-020-01132-6 [https://doi.org/10.1007/s00146-020-01132-6].   -       Sparrow, Robert; Henschke, Adam, 2023, ”Minotaurs, Not Centaurs: The Future of Manned-Unmanned”, Parameters 53 (1), The Us Army War College Quarterly, pp. 115-130.   -       Sparrow, Robert, 2012 "ONE, Riskless Warfare Revisited: Drones, Asymmetry and the Just Use of Force". Ethics of Drone Strikes: Restraining Remote-Control Killing, Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press, pp. 10-30.  https://doi.org/10.1515/9781474483599-004 [https://doi.org/10.1515/9781474483599-004]   -       Strawser, Bradley (edi), 2013, ”Killing by remote control -The Ethics of an Unmanned, Military”, Oxford University press.   -       TERMA, 2025, ”Multi-Domain”, (Accessed April 14. 2025) https://www.terma.com/products/multi-domain/ [https://www.terma.com/products/multi-domain/] Music: Sofus Forsberg

The Frontier of Automated Killing feat. Elke Schwarz

Is AI just a tool? What is the difference between human cognition and systems logic? How do the automation and routinisation of war change how we fight and think of our enemy? Does Israel's target-generating AI systems work in the war in Gaza, and what is the result so far? Professor of Political Theory Elke Schwarz discusses her research, the black box, meaningful human control, programming ethics into machines, and the future of regulating autonomous weapons systems. Shownotes: Producer: Sune With, sunewith@cas.au.dk Cover artwork: Sebastian Gram Abraham, Yural, November 30. 2023, “A mass assassination factory: Inside Israels calculated bombing of Gaza”, +972Magazine. https://www.972mag.com/mass-assassination-factory-israel-calculated-bombing-gaza/ [https://www.972mag.com/mass-assassination-factory-israel-calculated-bombing-gaza/]   Abraham, Yural, April 3. 2024, “Lavender”:The AI machine directing Israels bombing spree in Gaza, +972Magazine. https://www.972mag.com/lavender-ai-israeli-army-gaza/ [https://www.972mag.com/lavender-ai-israeli-army-gaza/]   Davis, Harry; McKernan, Bentham; Sabbagh, Dan, December 1, 2023, “The Gospel: how Israel uses AI to select bombing targets in Gaza”, The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/01/the-gospel-how-israel-uses-ai-to-select-bombing-targets [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2023/dec/01/the-gospel-how-israel-uses-ai-to-select-bombing-targets]   Frankel Pratt, Simon, May 2. 2024, “When AI Decides Who Lives and Dies”, Foreign Policy. https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/05/02/israel-military-artificial-intelligence-targeting-hamas-gaza-deaths-lavender/ [https://foreignpolicy.com/2024/05/02/israel-military-artificial-intelligence-targeting-hamas-gaza-deaths-lavender/]   Gritten, David, October 9. 2023, “Israel´s military says it fully controls communities on Gaza border”, BBC. https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67050127 [https://www.bbc.com/news/world-middle-east-67050127]   Guardian, April 3. 2024, “Israel Defence Forces´ response to claims about the use of “Lavender” AI database in Gaza”. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/03/israel-defence-forces-response-to-claims-about-use-of-lavender-ai-database-in-gaza [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/03/israel-defence-forces-response-to-claims-about-use-of-lavender-ai-database-in-gaza]    Krauss, Joseph, February 5. 2025, “Gaza is in ruins, and it´s unclear how it will be rebuilt”, Associated Press. https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-reconstruction-trump-d6a6ff45583b7959403a8615469866d5 [https://apnews.com/article/israel-hamas-war-gaza-strip-reconstruction-trump-d6a6ff45583b7959403a8615469866d5]   McKernan, Bethan; Davies, Harry, 3 April 2024, “The machine did it coldly´:Israel used AI to identify 37.000 Hamas targets. The Guardian. https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/03/israel-gaza-ai-database-hamas-airstrikes [https://www.theguardian.com/world/2024/apr/03/israel-gaza-ai-database-hamas-airstrikes]   No Comment TV, October 9. 2023, “We are fighting human animal”, said Israeli Defence Minister Yoav Gallant” (Accessed March 27. 2025) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbPdR3E4hCk [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZbPdR3E4hCk]   Schwarz, Elke, March 14. 2024, “Devalued Humanity: The Status of Human Life in Times of Nihilistic War”, Opinio Juris. https://opiniojuris.org/2024/03/14/devalued-humanity-the-status-of-human-life-in-times-of-nihilistic-war/ [https://opiniojuris.org/2024/03/14/devalued-humanity-the-status-of-human-life-in-times-of-nihilistic-war/]   Schwarz, Elke, 2021, “Autonomous Weapons Systems, Artificial Intelligence, and the Problem of meaningful Human Control”, The Philosophical Journal of Conflict and Violence, Vol. V Issue 1.   Schwarz, Elke; Renic, Neil, 2023, “Crimes of Dispassion: Autonomous Weapons and the Moral Challenge of Systematic Killing”, Ethics and International Affairs, 37, no. 3, pp. 321-343.  Schwarz, Elke, 2018, “Death Machines – The ethics of violent technologies”, Manchester University Press.   Schwarz, Elke, April 12. 2024, “Gaza war: Israel using AI to identify human targets raising fears that innocents are being caught in the net”, The Conversation.  https://theconversation.com/gaza-war-israel-using-ai-to-identify-human-targets-raising-fears-that-innocents-are-being-caught-in-the-net-227422 [https://theconversation.com/gaza-war-israel-using-ai-to-identify-human-targets-raising-fears-that-innocents-are-being-caught-in-the-net-227422]   UN, OHCHR, November 14. 2024, “UN Special Committee finds Israel´s warfare methods in Gaza consistent with genocide, including use of starvation as weapons of war”, UN.  https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/11/un-special-committee-finds-israels-warfare-methods-gaza-consistent-genocide [https://www.ohchr.org/en/press-releases/2024/11/un-special-committee-finds-israels-warfare-methods-gaza-consistent-genocide]   UN, UN News, November 22. 2024, “2024 deadliest year ever for aid workers, UN humanitarian office reports”, UN. https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1157371 [https://news.un.org/en/story/2024/11/1157371]   Music: Sofus Forsberg

Teaching Hearts and Minds feat. Lasse Kronborg

Why would a military use an autonomous weapons system? What do they bring to the battlefield in Ukraine? Is AI in the military a revolution? And what and why should we teach future officers about tomorrow's weapons systems? In addition to giving a hands-on account from within the military, Lasse Kronborg, major at the Royal Danish Defence College, offers his perspectives on the black box, meaningful human control, how machines could be programmed, and what we can expect in the future. Shownotes: Producer and host: Sune With sunewith@cas.au.dk Cover art: Sebastian Gram Department of Defense, 2023, “DoD Directive 3000.09 Autonomy in weapons Systems” (Accessed April 2. 2025) https://www.esd.whs.mil/portals/54/documents/dd/issuances/dodd/300009p.pdf [https://www.esd.whs.mil/portals/54/documents/dd/issuances/dodd/300009p.pdf]   General Assembly, United Nations, December 28. 2023, 78/241 Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems (Accessed April 2. 2025) https://docs.un.org/en/a/res/78/241 [https://docs.un.org/en/a/res/78/241]   IEEE SA Research Group on Issues of Autonomy and AI in Defense Systems. (2024). ”A Framework for Human Decision Making Through the Lifecycle of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems in Defense Applications”. New York, NY: IEEE SA (Accessed April 2. 2025) https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10707139 [https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/10707139]   IEEE Standards Association (Accessed April 2. 2025) https://standards.ieee.org/ [https://standards.ieee.org/]   Submission of the United States of America, 2023, Resolution 78/241 “Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems” adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on 22. December 2023 (Accessed April 2. 2025) https://docs-library.unoda.org/General_Assembly_First_Committee_-Seventy-Ninth_session_(2024)/78-241-US-EN.pdf [https://docs-library.unoda.org/General_Assembly_First_Committee_-Seventy-Ninth_session_(2024)/78-241-US-EN.pdf]   Music: Sofus Forsberg

Stop the Killer Robots feat. Charlotte Akin

Who thinks autonomous weapons systems are a good idea? Well, 250+ NGOs don't. Charlotte Akin, Projects & Logistics Officer from the coalition "Campaign to Stop Killer Robots," explains how the coalition works and its main objections to autonomous weapons. Is there any chance for regulation? Besides presenting the campaign's work, Charlotte gives her perspectives on the black box, meaningful human control, programming ethics into robots and the perspectives for regulation. Antónoi Guterres and his Holiness Pope Francis have a few words on their own to say on the matter. Shownotes: Producer and host: Sune With sunewith@cas.au.dk Cover artwork: Sebastian Gram Antonio Guterres’s speech at the UNSC, December 2024. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YuOC5wQk80 [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YuOC5wQk80]   Automated Decision Team  https://automatedresearch.org/ [https://automatedresearch.org/] Charlotte Akin, Campaign to Stop Killer Robots https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/our-team/ [https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/our-team/]   Mares, Courtney, 2024-07-10, “Pope Francis tells AI leaders: No machine should ever choose to take human life”, EWTN VATICAN.  https://www.ewtnvatican.com/articles/pope-francis-tells-ai-leaders-no-machine-should-ever-choose-to-take-human-life-3065 [https://www.ewtnvatican.com/articles/pope-francis-tells-ai-leaders-no-machine-should-ever-choose-to-take-human-life-3065]   Stop Killer Robots https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/ [https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/]   Stop Killer Robots member organisations. https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/a-global-push/member-organisations/ [https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/a-global-push/member-organisations/]   The Manila Times, 16. June 2024, Pope Francis calls for ban on “lethal autonomous weapons at G7 meeting.  https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OEKRNA6OMAo [https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OEKRNA6OMAo]   UN, Antonio Guterres stance on autonomous weapons.  https://disarmament.unoda.org/the-convention-on-certain-conventional-weapons/background-on-laws-in-the-ccw/ [https://disarmament.unoda.org/the-convention-on-certain-conventional-weapons/background-on-laws-in-the-ccw/]   UN, 2023, different countries’ definitions of autonomous weapons. https://docs-library.unoda.org/Convention_on_Certain_Conventional_Weapons_-Group_of_Governmental_Experts_on_Lethal_Autonomous_Weapons_Systems_(2023)/CCW_GGE1_2023_CRP.1_0.pdf [https://docs-library.unoda.org/Convention_on_Certain_Conventional_Weapons_-Group_of_Governmental_Experts_on_Lethal_Autonomous_Weapons_Systems_(2023)/CCW_GGE1_2023_CRP.1_0.pdf]   UN, resolution A/C. I/79/L.77 https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com24/resolutions/L77.pdf [https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com24/resolutions/L77.pdf] Music: Sofus Forsberg

Social War-bots? feat. Johanna Seibt

What is a social robot, and are autonomous drones social agents? What should a robot do or not do, and how is that connected to autonomous weapons? Johanna Seibt, professor in philosophy and co-founder of the field of robophilosophy, gives her insights on how interactions with robots that can act like agents impact our lives. What does it mean for our mutual respect on the battlefield if we let robots kill? What is phronesis, and in what way can an AI or a robot be programmed ethically? And what is the Collingridge dilemma? Besides offering her expertise on human-robot interaction, Johanna Seibt reflects on the black box problem, meaningful human control, existential risk and the future of regulating AI. Shownotes: Producer and host: Sune With, sunewith@cas.au.dk Cover art: Sebastian Gram -       Artificial Intelligence Act, 2025, Wikipedia (Accessed April 28. 2025) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_Intelligence_Act [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_Intelligence_Act]   -       Collingridge dilemma, Wikipedia, (Accessed April 27. 2025) -       EU AI Act: first regulation on artificial intelligence, 19.02.2025, European Parliament (Accessed April 28. 2025) https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20230601STO93804/eu-ai-act-first-regulation-on-artificial-intelligence [https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20230601STO93804/eu-ai-act-first-regulation-on-artificial-intelligence]   -       The Research Unit for Robophilosophy (Accessed April 27. 2025) https://cas.au.dk/en/robophilosophy⁠ [https://cas.au.dk/en/robophilosophy]   -       Sullins, John P, 2026, ”Automated Ethical Practical Reasoning: The Problem of Artificial Phronesis”, Chapter 10 in, J. Seibt, R. Hakli, M. Nørskov, Robophilosophy—Philosophy of, for and by Social Robotics, MIT Press (NOT YET PUBLISHED)  https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collingridge_dilemma [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collingridge_dilemma]  Music: Sofus Forsberg