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Toward a Science of Autonomy for Physical Systems: Defense

Militaries around the world have long been cognizant of the potential benefits associated with autonomous systems both in the conduct of warfare and in its prevention. This has lead to the declaration by some that this technology will lead to a fundamental change in the ways in which war is conducted, i.e., a revolution in military affairs (RMA) not unlike gunpowder, the long bow, the rifled bullet, the aircraft carrier, etc. Indeed the United States has created roadmaps for robotics with ever-increasing autonomous capability that span almost 40 years. These systems span air, sea, sea surface, littoral, ground and subterranean environments. There are serious societal and ethical concerns associated with the deployment of this technology that remain unaddressed. How can sufficient protection be afforded noncombatants? What about civilian blowback, where this technology may end up being used in policing operations against domestic groups? How can we protect the fundamental human rights of all involved? Considerable discussion is being conducted at an international level, including at the United Nations Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW) over the past two years, debating if and how such systems, particularly lethal platforms should be banned or regulated.