Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Autonomous Weapon Systems

Abstract

The regulation of autonomous weapon systems has long been a nebulous topic for lawmakers. It has attracted contentious and prolonged debate within the international community, with no sign of a resolution in sight. Among the many dilemmas, is the ethics of autonomous weapons and whether autonomous weapons can ever be developed and regulated in a manner which preserves human dignity. This is rooted in the key tenets of international humanitarian law, particularly the principle of ‘humanity’ which prohibits the infliction of superfluous suffering, injury, and destruction when it is not necessary for military purposes. The issues concerning human dignity are central to discussions on the legality of autonomous weapons which take humans out of the loop because such weapon systems alter the means and methods of warfare in ways that are not encompassed by the traditional laws of war. This article considers these issues and explores the notion of human dignity in the autonomous weapons debate, the concept of ‘meaningful human control’ which has dominated discussions on the use and deployment of autonomous weapons and whether the international community can progress towards a guiding framework for regulating autonomous weapons which incorporates considerations of human dignity and meaningful human control.