Legal and Ethical Dimensions of Robotics in the Security Sector

Abstract

This is an expert report addressing the latest developments in robotics in the security sector, including disaster relief and armed conflict, from an ethical and legal perspective. The focus is on autonomous robots. The report is written in German, but a 4 page executive summary explains in detail the seven recommendations the report makes in the light of recent developments. These recommendations inter alia bear on the role of ethics given the stalemate in international humanitarian law on autonomous weapons systems, the adaptation of the Article 36 weapons review due to the dynamic evolution in robotics, and the way the debate about robotics should be led.

Note: Downloadable document is in German.

Keywords: Ethics, robotics, robots, disaster relief, armed conflict, international humanitarian law, human rights, laws of war, autonomous robots, autonomous weapons systems, CCW