Robot Wars

This thesis assumes that the United States will continue to utilize unmanned combat robotic systems in the current operational environment (COE). The United States' military's increased use of unmanned robotic systems will not significantly change the current laws of warfare in relation to conduct during violent conflict or the justification for going to war. However, laws that govern the design and production of unmanned robotic systems will eventually require revision. The military may also be forced to question an autonomous agent's ability to assess a particular situation during combat before engaging with lethal force. For robotic systems operating autonomously, the inability to distinguish the difference between a lawful and unlawful target remains the overall issue while operating within the confines of the Law of War. Unmanned robotic systems will remain under the control of human operators until the issues of discrimination and proportionality can be resolved. Unmanned robotic systems possess the ability to abide by the current laws of warfare better than humans.

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