One Congressman’s Crusade to Save the World From Killer Robots

If a robot soldier commits a war crime, who is held accountable?

You can't punish a collection of parts and coding algorithms. But can you blame a human commander, who gave a legal order only to see the robot carry it out incorrectly? And what about the defense manufacturers, which are often immune from the kind of lawsuits that would plague civilian outfits if their products cost lives.

The culpability question is one of a host of thorny moral dilemmas presented by lethal robots. On the one hand, if effective, robot soldiers could replace ground troops and prevent thousands of American casualties. And robots aren't susceptible to many of the weaknesses that plague humans: exhaustion, sickness, infection, emotion, indecision.

But even if robot warriors can keep American lives out of danger, can they be trusted with the complicated combat decisions now left to human judgment?

Read the full article at National Journal.