Ethics of Robotic Warfare - Coursework Example

Ethics of Robotic Warfare A robot is an automated machine that is capable of dependent or independent reasoning and action. Robots are increasingly being used for a wide range of activities in a bid to help human beings cope with certain situations. The increased use of the robots has raised alarm concerning the detrimental effects of robotics. There are predictions of the end of the human dominated world as the result of the use of the self-replicating robots (Brey, Briggle and Waelbers 45). The use of robots in the war field is slowly gaining momentum as witnessed in the recent US action in Iraq and Afghanistan (Singer 16). During military missions such as Operation Iraq Freedom in Iraq and Operation enduring Freedom in Afghanistan the US troops used 6,000 unmanned robotic systems. Systems such as the Global Hawk and Reaper are highly effective in reconnaissance, munitions delivery, air/ground survey and photography (Weber 11). These robotic operations are helpful as they help commanders make rational, intelligent and well informed military decisions in times of war. Although the robots may be used for tactical defense and other war actions, there remains the question of ethics behind the use of robots in warfare. Capurro and Nagenborg state that “robots are and will remain in the foreseeable future dependent on human ethical scrutiny as well as on the moral and legal responsibility of humans (54).” What exactly is robotic ethics? Ethics is a discipline that is concerned with morals and values that explicitly or implicitly underlie human behavior. Robotic ethics therefore, is the term used to describe the moral norms and values that relate to the use of robots where human life or interest is concerned. The interaction of humans and robots raises some difficult but serious questions regarding the creation of war machines that may or may not be morally inclined to carry out war operations (McDaniel 99). The big question here is: does the world really need robotic welfare? Issues arise regarding the application of these robots for example, the use of these robots in warfare, ramification of labor and the intentional manipulation of the human beings by the robot creatures (Brey, Briggle and Waelbers 45). Of great concern has the use of the robots for warfare as it would be discussed in this paper. The use of the robots has short term ethical consequences which are very serious. Military Ethics and Robotic Warfare The ethics of the battlefield have for a long time been a huge problem and caused a lot of constraint for military conduct. The Geneva Conventions were created to guide military operations by soldiers, their commanders and politicians. These guidelines are mostly used as ethical standards for a war fighter’s appropriate activity while in the battle field. They also guide both the “development and application of specific rules of engagement for a given military context” (Arkin and Moshkina, 175). A single breech in the set military ethical standards could have considerably serious consequences. A case in point is the Abu Ghraib and Haditha occurrences where a breach of ethical standards was seen to increase the risk of the US troops on the ground. It also did irreparable damage to the public image of the United States on the global scene (180). The deployment of robots on the battlefield increases chances for breach of military ethics. Arkin and Moshkina hold that the increased deployment of autonomous robots calls for ethical considerations in a way that is “consistent with standing protocols and other ethical constraints that draw from cultural relativism, deontology or within other related ethical framework” (p.5). The authors observe that although some military protocols, codes of conduct, laws of war and rules of engagement exist; human beings have been known to flaunt all these thereby causing great damage. The question they pose is whether autonomous systems or robots can do better where human beings have failed. The controversy surrounding the application of the robots ranges from the traditional arguments concerning warfare and the construction of new weapons, to the issues surrounding the direct use of the lethality through the autonomous systems. The application of these autonomous systems takes into consideration the following; no direct human control or the issuance of confirmation for the order to kill (Brey, Briggle and Waelbers 45). Ethical Questions Regarding Use of Robots in Warfare One of the ethical concerns that follow the use of robots in the battlefield is how to deploy them. The other question lies with the issue of when the robotic systems need to be deployed. In the war scenario, there are normally two different cases. One is the use of the robot as an extension of the war fighter (Weber 41). In this scenario, a human commander or operator makes all the decisions about the actions to be taken by the robot. In this case, the robot is just a tool or an extension of the commander. This does not present much ethical problems since the use of the robot is clearly within the globally accepted military ethics. The human being in charge of the robot’s actions remains in control at all times. In the other case scenario, the robot system acts as an autonomous agent. This means that the robot retains the right to make decisions about what actions to take while on the battle field. Human control or assent is not required when the autonomous robot is in action (45). The robot acts on its own volition either in support of the current military mission or it act for its own self preservation. One of the tasks that the robot may be required to perform is to destroy human life (Singer 64). This is where the ethical concerns stem from. What military ethics is used to justify the use of lethal force by robotic systems in warfare? There are also semi-autonomous robots which are programmed to operate without human control until certain critical situations occur and the input of a human being is required. What is acceptable? In war situations, it is only natural for the parties involved to make use of any means available in order to emerge victorious. The technology of robotic systems in warfare is one of the factors that contribute to war outcomes in this day and age. Yet it is also one of the controversial tools of war. One of the ethical concerns that come with the use of robots or robotic systems in the battlefield is placing unmanned non-human systems to do ballet with humans. The robots are likely to be programmed in a way that the only thing that they are out to achieve is utter destruction (Singer 126). It is wrong to create machines which act like humans, but with no human emotions or cognitive ability. There is a big difference when two men are fighting against each other and when a man is fighting a machine (Sharkey). If there has to be war, human beings should be given the chance to fight against human beings, not against systems that they have no power to fight a winning battle. It is not ethically acceptable to humans to do battle with non-human entities which do not understand exactly why they are fighting in the first place. Is the use of robots, or machines, acceptable in warfare as a means of taking human life? This is a question that many war planners and strategists have to grapple with. The robotic systems used in modern warfare, though they may be effective, they do not really comprehend the intricacies or reasons for the war (Levy 108). They do not have the ability to internalize what the effects of their actions might be. They do not have the ability to understand the consequences of the mistakes that they are likely to make on the battle field. Another ethical issue is the creation of the Just War theory and explaining the methods by which the noncombatant/combatant discrimination, reduction of unnecessary suffering and collateral damage, proportionality of force, and the Jus in Bello ethical issues can be integrated into the autonomous robots (Brey, Briggle and Waelbers 46). In other words, there is still dilemma how these issues can be well integrated into the autonomous robots without raising any ethical questions. The issues themselves are questionable in the ethical world. What ought to be done Either direction can be taken in regard to the methods chosen by the military in the time of war. This will depend on the anticipated outcome and what is considered ethical by the society. In a war, the lives of the military and the civilians are at stake and if the robots are to be used for killing people, it is unfair and wrong and thus unethical (Krishnan 166). To avoid these ethical dilemmas, military commanders and planners need to think of better ways of carrying out combat operations without having to use dependent or independent robotic systems. The systems should instead be used other military operations such as ground to air surveys, reconnaissance missions, munitions delivery and aerial photography (Sharkey). Ethical considerations, including the effects of robotics systems in warfare should be a matter of grave importance to military commanders as they strategize of the best approach to war (McDaniel 139). A number of ethical theories and principles can be used to find solutions to these ethical issues. The deontology theory is well illustrated in the International Conventions such as the Geneva and the Hague Protocols (Brey, Briggle and Waelbers 46). These International Conventions such as the Geneva Protocol guide the military operations of the soldiers, their commanders and politicians. It is imperative to note that deontology regards an action ethical if it is the duty of the individual. In this case, the International Conventions guide the key stakeholders in warfare in regard to the use of the robots. War has been there since the inception of universe and the human race, it has become an entity which is inevitable and thus war is not likely to end soon whether robots are used or not. The use of the robots in the battlefield will be a smart move for the military. It will assist them in using force without putting any human being lives at risk. The psychological aspects of the combat will be eliminated. The robots may also prove to be more superior to the humans on the war field; their capability of shooting more accurately and faster. The robot warfare may bring the end of warfare in the human history (Krishnan 166). One may argue that the use of the robots in warfare reduces the human casualties if the warfare parties are robots; this may be considered ethical. If the warfare parties are humans and the robots; this may be considered unethical because human suffering is likely to occur. The utilitarian theory takes into consideration what makes most of the people happy. In regard to robotic warfare, several things are taken into consideration; weapon selection, military necessity, permission to fire, and the firing pattern. These considerations are under the former rights based restrictions (Brey, Briggle and Waelbers 46). This may guide the military in determining what is necessary for them, and the weapons to be used in case of a war. The conduct of the soldiers in the battlefield has been questioned in regard to their probability to persevere and perform illegal acts during the wartime conditions. This means that the autonomous systems like the robots can outperform the humans ethically in the war fields (Brey, Briggle and Waelbers 46). Conclusion The ethical dilemma concerning the deployment of robotic systems in war situation appears like it is here to stay. As the world becomes more technologically the use of even more complex robotic systems in warfare is becoming commonplace. The impersonal approach to warfare often causes untold devastation and unlikely political upheavals which are essentially avoidable. However, the ethical concerns of using robots in war situations are relevant and should be addressed. Military robotic systems should be designed for non-combat missions so as to minimize the ethical concerns that accompany their use. Political ideologies differ and this may trigger or reduce the development of the robots for warfare. One might ask if the politics is ready for the era of robotic warfare. If so, the use of force might become an item of the foreign policy. It is essential to note that politics was not ready during the nuclear age and if they venture into robotic warfare, the world will become uninhabitable. Works Cited Arkin, Ronald and Lilia Moshkina. Lethality and Autonomous Robots: An Ethical Stance. Atlanta, GA: Georgia Institute of Technology, 2007. Print. Brey, P., Briggle, A. & Waelbers, K. Current Issues in Computing and Philosophy. Amsterdam, Netherlands: IOS Press, 2008. Print. Capurro, Rafael and Michael Nagenborg. Ethics and robotics. London: Routledge, 2009. Print. Krishnan, Armin. Killer Robots: Legality and Ethicality of Autonomous Weapons. Surrey, England: Ashgate Publishing, Ltd., 2009. Print. Levy, David. Robots Unlimited: Life in a Virtual Age. Wellesley, MA: A K Peters, Ltd, 2006. Print McDaniel, Erin. Robot Wars: Legal and Ethical Dilemmas of Using Unmanned Robotic Systems in 21st Century Warfare and Beyond. 2008. Web. April 11, 2011. Sharkey, Noel. “Robot Wars are a Reality”, The Guardian. 2007. Web. April 11, 2011. Singer, P.W. Wired for War: Robotics Revolution and Conflict in the 21st Century. London: Penguin Press, 2009. Print. Weber, Jutta. Robotic Warfare, Human Rights and the Rhetorics of Ethical Machines. 2010. Web. April 11, 2011. Read More