Warriors and War Algorithms: Leveraging Artificial Intelligence to Enable Ethical Targeting

Abstract

This paper examines how Artificial Intelligence (AI) is likely to enable the US military to execute its warfighting missions in a more ethical way, and thereby better abide by the moral intent of International Humanitarian Law (IHL) and highlight where it may introduce challenges. It accomplishes this task by examining two key characteristics of military targeting: distinction and proportionality. It then explains how narrow-AI war algorithms have the potential lead to greater jus in bello ethical warfighting. AI can clearly improve warfighters ability to positively identify targets through greater battlespace awareness. It can also help prevent injuries to non-combatants by allowing targeting analysts to more accurately predict the amount of collateral damage a strike may cause by creating a process that yields truly ethically optimal results vice merely settling for satisficing.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
May 14, 2020
Accession Number
AD1104171

Entities

People

  • John G. Thorne

Organizations

  • Naval War College

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Autonomy
  • Biomedical
  • C4I
  • Cyber
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Air Force
  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Autonomous Weapons
  • Computer Vision
  • Drone Targeting
  • International Law
  • International Relations
  • Military Organizations
  • National Security
  • Online Communications
  • Psychology
  • Remotely Piloted Vehicles
  • Surveillance
  • Test And Evaluation
  • Unmanned Vehicles
  • Warfare
  • Weapons Effects

Readers

  • Artificial Intelligence
  • Criminal Law
  • Political Violence and Terrorism Studies.

Technology Areas

  • AI & ML
  • AI & ML - DoD AI Strategy
  • AI & ML - Neural Networks