Advantages and disadvantages of autonomous weapon systems
Autonomous weapon systems and military robots move from science fiction movies to designer drawing boards, to engineering labs, and to the battlefield. These machines have created a debate among military planners, robotics technicians, and ethicists about the development and deployment of weapons that can perform more and more sophisticated functions, including targeting and using force, with little or no human control. Some military experts believe that autonomous weapon systems not only provide significant strategic and tactical advantages on the battlefield, but are also morally preferred over the use of human fighters. On the other hand, critics believe that these weapons…