Abstract
The artificial intelligence capabilities of lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWSs) will revolutionise warfare. States identified an imperative to create an accountability framework to address situations where a LAWS triggers an international crime. The advent of LAWSs necessitates that we rethink how we attribute criminal accountability and how we understand traditional legal notions used for locating accountability. If the goals of international criminal law are to be promoted, the notion of moral agency should not be redefined to include LAWSs. The accountability regime should encompass a senior political leader, a senior Department of Defense official responsible for promulgating policy on LAWSs, a weapon manufacturer, a weapon designer, a military commander and an operator. The criteria for locating accountability include whether the individual exercised authority in the circumstances over 1) the LAWS either directly or through another person, or 2) over the manner in which the LAWS was integrated with the operator.
Original language | English |
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Pages (from-to) | 45-112 |
Number of pages | 53 |
Journal | Georgetown Journal of International Law |
Volume | 50 |
Issue number | 1 |
Publication status | Published - 1 Sept 2018 |
Externally published | Yes |
Keywords
- accountability, lethal autonomous weapon systems, international criminal law