Autonomous Military Robots – critical topography of possible reactions to upcoming technological revolution

Recent technological advances make the prospect of partially or fully autonomous combat machines remaking the battlefields of the next decade very likely. The paper explores the space of possible reactions to such developments by the international community. We discuss three such families of approaches – an attempt at a comprehensive global ban; strict control regime – employment and strict regulation of Autonomous Military Robots by present-day global military powers coupled with vigorous non-proliferation efforts aimed at other countries and entities, akin to the management of nuclear weapons dynamic; and the laissez faire approach, i.e., exerting no effort to thwart the global proliferation of combat robots, whether military-grade or home-made, with all the consequences of such inaction. We conclude that while all these modes of reaction are burdened with very significant risks, vigorous action combining the elements of the global ban and control regime approaches is morally obligatory yet requires large conceptual effort to be undertaken on its behalf to be sufficiently effective.