In the relatively near future, the United States and other countries are likely to develop varying levels of artificial intelligence (AI) and integrate it into autonomous weapons. There are significant voices, spearheaded by The Campaign to Ban Killer Robots, advocating for a preemptive ban on these weapons. The opponents of lethal autonomous weapon systems (LAWS)… Continue reading Command Responsibility: A Model for Defining Meaningful Human Control
Category: Laws of War
Deterrence as the MacGuffin: The Case for Arms Control in Outer Space
This article examines the theory and practice of two partially contrasting policy approaches to US national security and global stability: deterrence, which has long been regarded as virtually the “Holy Grail” of post-World War II US strategy, and arms control, which offers alternative goals, procedures, and structures. In the realm of nuclear weapons, both approaches… Continue reading Deterrence as the MacGuffin: The Case for Arms Control in Outer Space
From Protecting Lives to Protecting States: Use of Force Across the Threat Continuum
Retired Brigadier General Kenneth Watkin’s new book, Fighting at the Legal Boundaries: Controlling the Use of Force in Contemporary Conflict, helps address some of the issues with the increasingly blurred line between international humanitarian law and human rights law. Professor Mitt Regan’s review addresses the trends that Watkin regards as posing novel challenges for states… Continue reading From Protecting Lives to Protecting States: Use of Force Across the Threat Continuum