Abstract

ABSTRACT

Recent advancements in artificial intelligence have intensified debates on deploying Autonomous Weapons Systems (AWS) in warfare. Proponents justify AWS on grounds of (1) enhanced military efficiency and reduced soldier casualties, (2) improved compliance with international humanitarian law (IHL) through algorithmic precision, and (3) operational necessity in high-threat environments. This paper critically examines these arguments, contending that they fail to establish the ethical legitimacy of AWS. It argues that AWS fundamentally undermine moral accountability in war, exacerbate risks to civilians, and corrode human agency in lethal decision-making. The analysis concludes that existing ethical and legal frameworks cannot adequately govern AWS, necessitating a reconfiguration of accountability paradigms.

Details

Title
The ethical legitimacy of autonomous Weapons systems: reconfiguring war accountability in the age of artificial Intelligence
Author
Guo, Jie 1 

 School of Foreign Studies, Nanjing Agricultural University , Nanjing , Jiangsu , China 
Pages
27-39
Publication year
2025
Publication date
Jun - Sep 2025
Publisher
Taylor & Francis Ltd.
ISSN
16544951
e-ISSN
16546369
Source type
Scholarly Journal
Language of publication
English
ProQuest document ID
3258248394
Copyright
© 2025 The Author(s). Published by Informa UK Limited, trading as Taylor & Francis Group.. This work is licensed under the Creative Commons  Attribution – Non-Commercial License http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0/ (the "License"). Notwithstanding the ProQuest Terms and Conditions, you may use this content in accordance with the terms of the License.