ABSTRACT
The previous two chapters discussed the legality and ethicality of military robots. It was argued that robotic/autonomous weapons are technically not illegal and that they could be used in war, if they were sufficiently reliable and capable of discriminating between targets. The question of their ethicality is rather difficult to answer, as they have some potential of humanizing warfare, but also the potential to create more ethical dilemmas and adverse outcomes than less advanced conventional weaponry. This raises the question of whether or not robotic/autonomous weapons should be internationally regulated and, if so, how and with what kind of aims. Some military analysts such as John Pike believe that combat robotics simply cannot be prevented, as the potential gains for military organizations could be too great to ignore (Flam 2008). Such a military realist perspective would consider any attempt of regulation to be a rather futile exercise. A technological arms race in the area of military robotics could simply not be stopped.
