Killer robot swarms, an update

Published on February 10, 2023

The ethical challenges raised by lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS) are often discussed in a narrow context - drones acting independently, even if collaboratively, to carry out a mission with limited decision-making transparency. But what about the ethical challenges raised by swarms of drones acting autonomously?

While the United States and China invest in LAWS, signals are being sent to private industries that swarm technology is a priority. But swarms have a force-multiplying effect on the harm they can cause in a single instance. Ethical challenges arise with this heightened lethality.

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