ABSTRACT
The development and use of armed robots for military and law enforcement purposes is one of the most ethically contentious and politically challenging issues of the early twenty-first century, one that increasingly commands attention not only from philosophers of technology but also from citizens, media and watchdog groups, thought leaders, and institutions of law, governance, and public policy from around the globe. Responding to mounting international concern, a 2013 report commissioned by the United Nations recommended “that States establish national moratoria on aspects of LARs [lethal autonomous robots]” (Heyns 2013). In 2015 the Future of Life Institute released an open letter signed by tens of thousands of scientific researchers and other stakeholders urging a global “ban on offensive autonomous weapons beyond meaningful human control” (Russell et al. 2015). Yet the multi–billion dollar global market in defense robotics is projected to grow rapidly in coming decades as nations and private law enforcement agencies bet on the promise of armed, and increasingly intelligent, robots.
