Be it resolved: Autonomous weapons will make warfare more humane

Trillions of dollars each year are poured into developing new technologies that redefine the art of war.  And the next frontier of military technology will bring the world of science fiction into reality: fully autonomous weapons.  Supporters of autonomous weapons argue that it is imperative that we develop artificial intelligence capable of making tough decisions at an extraordinary speed.  They argue that this new technology will limit civilian casualties and avoid human error that inevitably costs lives.  They argue that these weapons will be necessary to combat hostile governments, and failing to invest in the future of warfare is an existential threat to the international order.  Without them, we risk a future of greater violence and fewer freedoms.  But there is another camp that feels the risk of these weapons is far too great for anyone to possess. They argue that the human cost of war serves as a deterrent, and without that deterrent, war will become more common and more brutal. Fully autonomous weapons will make it easier and cheaper to kill people, creating more death and destruction than is absolutely necessary.  They argue machines are incapable of fully understanding the value of a human life, and life and death decisions must not be left to AI. The only answer is for the use of autonomous weapons to be banned entirely. 

Arguing for the motion is Bob Work, the 32nd United States Deputy Secretary of Defense for both the Obama and Trump administrations from 2014 to 2017

Arguing against the motion is Peter Asaro, Director of Graduate Program & Associate Professor of Media Studies at The New School, with a focus on autonomous weapons from the perspective of just war theory and human rights.

Bob Work: “I think very strongly that autonomy has made warfare more humane already and will make it even more so in the future.”

Peter Asaro: “Making warfare more humane would be to reduce warfare and conflict. And by the very nature of automating warfare you are encouraging more conflict and more warfare because it's going to be cheaper.”

Sources: NYT, Yahoo Finance, CBS News

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