Autonomous Military Robotics: Risk, Ethics, and Design

Access: PDF

Prepared on: December 2008

Authors: Patrick Lin, Ph.D., George Bekey, Ph.D., Keith Abney, M.A. (Ethics + Emerging Sciences Group at California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo)

Comments: A 112 page document on military robotics. A condensed version of ToC available below. Chapter 3 goes through the Top-Down, Bottom-Up, and Hybrid approaches of programming morality, which is also mentioned in the book Moral Machines: Teaching Robots Right from Wrong.

1. Introduction
2. Military Robotics
3. Programming Morality
4. The Laws of War and Rules of Engagement
5. Law and Responsibility
6. Technology Risk Assessment Framework
7. Robot Ethics: The Issues
8. Conclusions