Search: battlefield robots
31 Jul The Specific Costs of Arbitrary Detention and Torture: A Response to Eugene Kontorovich
...detainees who were released before the tribunal process began). How are we supposed to take these clowns seriously? Returning to the Battlefield in “Dozens”…How About Some Proof? Finally, what about the contention being bandied about Washington, assumed as truthful by Kontorovich, that at least 30 released detainees have “returning to the battlefield?” To date, the Administration has claimed 30, but has only provided the names of six men. In the spring, the DoD released specific ISN numbers pairing these men with former GTMO prisoners, and detainee lawyers quickly identified problems...17 Sep Importance of the Brennan Speech (I)
...that be the case? Well, as Brennan elaborates, even those allies who would deny the expanded scope of the armed conflict beyond “hot battlefields” agree with the U.S. that a nation may use force in self-defense against an entity or state that is “planning, engaging in, or threatening an armed attack against U.S. interests,” even outside of the “hot battlefield,” if the threat of such action is “imminent.” (Again, such self-defense actions must comply with sovereignty and other international norms, such as the requirement that the response be necessary and...04 Mar Guest Post: Autonomous Weapons at Chatham House: It’s Bentham versus Kant
...of radar or infrared imagery, etc.) or that robots can take more risks (as if remotely operated robots can't do the same). As to the last point, it is often argued that communications links are vulnerable, but this applies mainly in the case of state-vs.-state warfare, and especially aggressive or preemptive war, where robots might be used for strategic attack. Mr. Blanchard does acknowledge the existence of "concerns about strategic stability," but then quickly sidelines them with the assertion that this is not what "the debate here" is about. I...15 Jun What Now?
HowardGilbert The core definition of "enemy combatant" has nothing to do with battlefields. The term starts with the various groups designate by Article 4 of the Third Geneva Convention, and before it the Hague Agreements. First, you have all members of the regular armed forces of an enemy country. This includes cooks, truck drivers, doctors, engineers, generals, and lots of other people far from battlefields who have never engaged in combat. In the West, we refer to these people as "men and women in uniform," but uniforms are a Western...30 Jul Don’t Worry, the Biomass-Eating Robot Will be Vegetarian
...the public’s concern about futuristic robots feeding on the human population, but that is not our mission,” stated Harry Schoell, Cyclone’s CEO. “We are focused on demonstrating that our engines can create usable, green power from plentiful, renewable plant matter. The commercial applications alone for this earth-friendly energy solution are enormous.” (emphasis in the original) I’m going out on a limb — a non-human one, of course — and claiming that this is the first time Article 15 has ever been mentioned in a press release about robots. Bonus IHL...20 Feb AlphaDogs, Cheetah-bots, and Mecha-Avatars
been hypothesized. I had previously referred to such robots using William Gibson’s term “slamhounds.” According to Danger Room, DARPA is now working to develop quadruped hunter robots, but is going for a different animal metaphor, calling the project “Cheetah.” Boston Dynamics, the developer of BigDog/ AphaDog, is running the Cheetah project. Adam Rawnsley of Danger Room writes: As the name implies, Cheetah is designed to be a four-legged robot with a flexible spine and articulated head (and potentially a tail) that runs faster than the fastest human. In addition to...02 Jul Is International Criminal Law “Crowding Out” the Rest of Public International Law?
...war anymore? An end-run around the P-5? Neglecting the UN? I want to thank EJIL editor and old friend Joe Weiler for commissioning this essay – and then running it when it turned out to be a somewhat strange piece for EJIL. It draws on my personal experience regarding the early days of the then-proposed ICTY, among other things. Everything from battlefield robots to the P-5 … no lack of topics here in a short space. Although I think it will drive some readers crazy, and for a good reason...