Governing Lethal Behavior in Autonomous Robots

by Arkin; Ronald

• ISBN13: 9781420085945
• ISBN10: 1420085948
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2009-05-27
• Publisher: Chapman & Hall/

Summary

  Answering the ethical dilemma faced by the developers and users of autonomous robots in military and combat zones, this book provides the basis, motivation, theory, and design recommendations for the implementation of an ethical control and reasoning system suitable for constraining lethal actions of autonomous robotic systems. Based upon extensions of existing deliberative/reactive autonomous robotic architectures, it includes recommendations for the suppression of unethical behavior. Through issues regarding the ultimate responsibility for the deployment of such systems, readers will gain a background on past, present, and possible future outcomes for autonomous robotic systems.

Table of Contents

Preface	p. xi
Acknowledgments	p. xix
Introduction	p. 1
Trends toward Lethality	p. 7
Weaponized Unmanned Ground Vehicles	p. 10
Weaponized Unmanned Aerial Vehicles	p. 21
Prospects	p. 26
Human Failings in the Battlefield	p. 29
Related Philosophical Thought	p. 37
What People Think: Opinions on Lethal Autonomous Systems	p. 49
Survey Background	p. 50
Response	p. 51
Comparative Results	p. 52
Discussion	p. 55
Formalization for Ethical Control	p. 57
Formal Methods for Describing Behavior	p. 58
Range of Responses: R	p. 58
The Stimulus Domain: S	p. 58
The Behavioral Mapping: ß	p. 60
Ethical Behavior	p. 62
Specific Issues for Lethality: What to Represent	p. 69
What Is Required	p. 70
Laws of War	p. 71
Rules of Engagement	p. 81
Standing Rules of Engagement	p. 82
Rules of Engagement (Non-SROE)	p. 84
Rules for the Use of Force	p. 86
ROE for Peace Enforcement Missions	p. 91
Representational Choices: How to Represent Ethics in a Lethal Robot	p. 93
Underpinnings	p. 95
Generalism-Reasoning from Moral Principles	p. 99
Deontic Logic	p. 99
Utilitarian Methods	p. 102
Kantian Rule-Based Methods	p. 103
Particularism: Case-Based Reasoning	p. 104
Ethical Decision Making	p. 108
Architectural Considerations for Governing Lethality	p. 115
Architectural Requirements	p. 119
Design Options	p. 125
Ethical Governor	p. 127
Ethical Behavioral Control	p. 133
Ethical Adaptor	p. 138
After-Action Reflection	p. 138
Affective Restriction of Behavior	p. 140
Responsibility Advisor	p. 143
Command Authorization for a Mission Involving Autonomous Lethal Force	p. 146
Design for Mission Command Authorization	p. 148
The Use of Ethical Overrides	p. 149
Design for Overriding Ethical Control	p. 152
Example Scenarios for the Ethical Use of Force	p. 155
Taliban Muster in Cemetery	p. 157
"Apache Rules the Night"	p. 162
Korean Demilitarized Zone	p. 167
Urban Sniper	p. 171
A Prototype Implementation	p. 177
Infrastructure	p. 177
A Prototype Implementation of the Ethical Governor	p. 178
Ethical Constraints	p. 179
Evidential Reasoning	p. 182
Constraint Application	p. 182
Proportionality and Battlefield Carnage	p. 185
Demonstration Scenario Overview	p. 188
Scenario 1-Suppressing Unethical Behavior	p. 190
Scenario 2-Maintaining Ethical Behavior While Minimizing Collateral Damage	p. 192
Implementing the Responsibility Advisor	p. 196
Establishing Responsibility When Tasking an Autonomous System Capable of Lethal Force	p. 196
Run-Time Responsibility Advising and Operator Overrides	p. 202
Continuous Presentation of the Status of the Ethical Governor	p. 203
Negative Overrides: Denying Permission to Fire in the Presence of Obligating Constraints	p. 205
Positive Overrides: Granting Permission to Fire in the Presence of Forbidding Ethical Constraints	p. 206
Summary	p. 209
Epilogue	p. 211
References	p. 213
Relevant Laws of War	p. 225
Acronyms	p. 243
Notation	p. 245
Index	p. 247
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