Dr Alex Leveringhaus discusses Lethal Autonomous Robotics (LARs)

Alex Leveringhaus, a Post-Doctoral Research Fellow at Oxfords Institute for Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict (ELAC) appeared in a segment on BBC Newsnight (30 May) on Lethal Autonomous Robotics (LARs).

Unlike drones, which are still remotely controlled by humans, LARs, once deployed into the field, can make the decision to use lethal force autonomously, without any further human input. This fact has garnered considerable pushback from many who would like to see LARs banned, including a new report from the United Nations.

Yet Alex argues that such efforts are unlikely to have great effects, as military technology trends are inevitably driving towards the development of LARs. However, the belief that LARs will dramatically change the nature of conflict may be overblown. “This case against killer robots is sometimes presented … as if the military is just going to get rid of all its targeting procedures, of a commitment to a chain of command, of a commitment to control and command once a weapon is launched,” Alex noted. “In the end it sounds as if the military is going to abolish itself, and that isn’t really in the interest of the military.”