Defining semi-autonomous, automated and autonomous weapon systems in order to understand their ethical challenges

Abstract

There is a lot of misunderstandings when it comes to what has been labelled as "autonomous killing robots". Indeed, the robotization of weapons is a very complex issue and requires a clear conceptualization of these various types of weapons that are currently being used in the military. This article offers a typology of these weapon systems by distinguishing between semi-autonomous, automated and autonomous weapons. This necessary distinction allows for a better understanding of the ethical challenges associated with these systems.