Search: robots
14 Aug A Better World Emerging from the Crises
...military advantage through weapons research. Instead of green technology, the competitionists invent killer robots. Instead of cyber security, their researchers find new ways to destroy through computer applications. China builds coal-fired power plants to pay for a navy bigger than the U.S.’s. The contrast with the non-polar world could not be greater. The pandemic is leading to de-coupling from hegemonic rivalry. Figures like Putin, Trump, or Xi, are not found among those committed to solidarity. And the solidarists are everywhere. Their names reach headlines without stoking cults of personality, including,...05 Jan Holiday Roundup: December 22, 2012 – January 4, 2013
...already made a new year’s resolution to post more about robots, but promised to cover other areas as well. His first post of the year covered adulteration of extra virgin olive oil, showing that there is no limit to potential international law questions. Kristen Boon also reflected on the role of international law in settling the East China Sea dispute. If you need to catch up with the news of the past fortnight, our weekday news wraps may be helpful. As always, we also provided our weekly events and announcements...03 Jan Some Thoughts on Negotiating a Treaty on Autonomous Weapon Systems
...informative discussion had run its course, and that the time was right to proceed with a more formal mandate, to “explore and agree on possible recommendations on options related to emerging technologies in the area of LAWS”. Once confirmed, this raised expectations amongst some non-governmental organizations (NGOs) that a ban on ‘killer robots’ may follow. However, as other commentators noted at the time, the formal mandate made no reference to negotiating a LAWS treaty, and this was clearly a result of divergent views within the CCW’s membership over how best...21 Feb The Ethics and Economics of Asteroid Mining (and the Role for Law)
...the economies of resource-exporting nations. What would happen to most of Africa? What would it do to the cost of iron ore? And what about refining and manufacturing? If we spend the money to harvest iron in space, why not outsource the other related processes as well? Imagine a future in which solar-powered robots toil in lunar or orbital factories. “On the one hand, it’s great,” Brother Consolmango said. “You’ve now taken all of this dirty industry off the surface of the Earth. On the other hand, you’ve put a...27 Mar PW Singer’s Wired for War Discussion at CTLab
...certain firing decisions, rather than an emotionless computer might be regarded as a possible war crime. It is a profound mistake to pre-judge the humanitarian possibilities created in the future by technology. That is about autonomy, but it is still well down the road. The more immediate reason why robotics is important to OJ discussions is that it is not just about sci-fi autonomous robots. It is about other issues that are taking place on the battlefield now, and transforming it in all the ways that Singer discusses so well....
27 Oct A Step Forward into Terror: What Neon Genesis Evangelion Tells us About the Future of Warfare
...injuries suffered by a civilian during battle, I will explore the inadequacy of dispute settlement regimes that shield the UN from redressing the harms caused by its peace enforcement operations. I will conclude, as the anime does, calling upon humanity to stop mindlessly marching towards terror. Of Angels and Robots One crisp morning in 2015, the quiet waters east of Tokyo-3 are suddenly disrupted by a massive shockwave. A monstrous creature emerges from the deep realising everyone’s worst fears. It’s been 15 years since contact with Adam brought about the “Second Impact,” a...
15 Jan After the International Court of Justice: Business as Usual? Al-Haq and Others versus the Netherlands: District Court The Hague 13 December 2024
...Netherlands exported 2.5 million euros worth of military goods -including components of military robots and naval vessels- to Israel between 7 October 2023 and October 2024. The judge’s conclusions that there is also no legal basis for a full embargo is only reached because the wider context (the illegal occupation) is entirely left out of consideration. Both the Opinion and the Arms Trade Treaty (not mentioned in the ruling, but Article 7 prohibits arms export if there is an overriding risk of facilitating a serious violation of international humanitarian or...
25 Jan International Law’s Invisible Frames Symposium: Inter-Temporality, Legal Fictions and Wartime Emotions in the Investigation of International Humanitarian Law Violations
...stronger in recent times is provided by artificial intelligence and lethal autonomous weapons systems. Many argue that, by removing human emotions such as anger or fear, killer robots seem to be more ready to engage in hostilities without the possibility of making mistakes. The absence of any emotional experience would allow, according to this position, for an unbiased participation in hostilities. But this, of course, is not clear, since the absence of combatant decision-making ends up de-humanising the conduct of hostilities and reducing war to a cold and inexpressive algorithm....15 Nov Genocide and Battlestar Galactica
...policeman bides his time, and then, as she draws closer to him, he whispers to his dead wife—murdered by the occupiers—that he’ll see her soon. His thumb presses the detonator, and the ceremony is ripped apart, along with a sense of security and optimism for the occupying power. If this sounds like Iraq, it should. But it’s the season premiere of Battlestar: Galactica, the Sci Fi Channel’s acclaimed remake of the kitschy Star Trek also-ran. In its previous two seasons, Battlestar has hinted at war-on-terrorism overtones. The evil Cylon robots...12 Jan Space Law Update – US Won’t Build Death Star, Also Does Not Support Blowing Up Planets
...White House site, which I haven’t included). It is more substantive than one might have anticipated – it discusses private space flight initiatives, the International Space Station and – naturally! – robots. Update: Response from the Air Force General Counsel’s Twitter feed (and I recommend both the Twitter feed (@AirForceGC) and blog: Air Force GC @ AirForceGC Still smarting from Death Star decision, but must admit weapons review would have been a bear. Referring to US legal requirements for a review of the legality of all weapons systems, meeting the...