Responsibility practices and unmanned military technologies.

Area of Science:

• Military robotics
• Ethics of artificial intelligence
• Sociology of technology

Background:

• Increasing autonomy in military robots raises concerns about human accountability.
• The legal and ethical frameworks for robot behavior are not yet established.
• Defining responsibility for actions taken by autonomous systems is a complex challenge.

Purpose of the Study:

• To analyze how human responsibility is negotiated in the context of autonomous military systems.
• To introduce the concept of "responsibility practices" as a tool for examining these negotiations.
• To explore the interplay between technological advancement and the assignment of responsibility.

Main Methods:

• Conceptual analysis of responsibility and technology.
• Case study of negotiations within the US Armed Forces regarding unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs).
• Examination of how technological introductions prompt re-evaluation of responsibility frameworks.

Main Results:

• Responsibility for robotic systems is not fixed but is actively negotiated by human actors.
• The concept of "responsibility practices" effectively illustrates the dynamic relationship between technology and accountability.
• The introduction of UAVs has led to significant renegotiations of responsibility within military structures.

Conclusions:

• Human responsibility for autonomous systems is a social and technical construct, shaped by ongoing negotiation.
• Understanding "responsibility practices" is crucial for navigating the ethical and legal challenges of military AI.
• Future research should continue to examine these negotiations as technology evolves.