No One at the Controls: Legal Implications of Fully Autonomous Targeting

67 Joint Force Q. 77 (October 2012)

8 Pages Posted: 21 Jul 2013

See all articles by Jeffrey Thurnher

Jeffrey Thurnher

Office of the US Army Judge Advocate General; U.S. Army

Date Written: October 1, 2012

Abstract

Lethal autonomous robots (LARs) may provide the best counter to the asymmetric threats of the future. From China’s considerable capacity for jamming and general cyber attack to swarms of Iranian patrol boats, dangers are proliferating, and LARs can operate faster than humans and achieve lethal outcomes even where there are no communications links. LARs are apt to prove attractive to a number of players, so the United States should act at once to secure a commanding capability in fully autonomous targeting. Legal concerns do not appear to be a game-ender, so operational commanders in particular should lead in harnessing this emerging technology. With appropriate control measures, these unmanned systems will be safe, effective, and legal weapons as well as force multipliers. They have already proven their value during the Global War on Terror, and all branches of the U.S. military are poised to rely on ever-more sophisticated LARs.

Keywords: autonomous, autonomous weapon, lethal autonomous robots, robots, law of armed conflict, war, proportionality, distinction, precautions in attack

Suggested Citation

Thurnher, Jeffrey and Thurnher, Jeffrey, No One at the Controls: Legal Implications of Fully Autonomous Targeting (October 1, 2012). 67 Joint Force Q. 77 (October 2012), Available at SSRN: https://ssrn.com/abstract=2296346

Jeffrey Thurnher (Contact Author)

U.S. Army ( email )

United States

Office of the US Army Judge Advocate General ( email )

2200 Army Pentagon
Washington, DC 22204
United States

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