Table-Top Exercises on the Human Element and Autonomous Weapons Systems : : Summary Report / / Giacomo Persi Paoli, Alice Spazian, Alisha Anand.

• VerfasserIn: Paoli, Giacomo Persi,; Spazian, Alice,; Anand, Alisha,
• TeilnehmendeR: Spazian, Alice,; Anand, Alisha,
• Place / Publishing House: Geneva, Switzerland : : UNIDIR,, 2021.
• Year of Publication: 2021
• Language: English
• Physical Description: 1 online resource (v, 19 pages) :; color illustrations, color portraits

This series of table-top exercises provided an opportunity to investigate the interplay between human involvement, autonomy and use of lethal force. Based on the discussions with experts, we might conclude that: Systems that perform all steps of the targeting cycle outside of any form of human control or supervision are not technically feasible, militarily desirable or legally permissible. On the other hand, those systems which introduce degrees of autonomy in the execution of selected tasks might be technically feasible, militarily desirable or legally permissible, depending on the context, conditions and circumstances and provided that appropriate operational and legal frameworks are applied throughout the life cycle of the weapon system and across all steps of the targeting cycle. A secondary outcome of the exercise was the horizontal transfer of knowledge--both within and among expert communities--which will support informed participation of Member States to the important discussions within the GGE on LAWS.

Table of Contents

1. Introduction -- 1.1 Background -- 1.2 Purpose of the table-top exercises -- 1.3 The project in numbers -- 2. Methodology -- 2.1 The analytical framework -- 2.2 The scenarios -- 2.3 The exercise -- 2.4 Scope and assumptions -- 3. Findings -- 3.1 Summary of technological considerations -- 3.2 Summary of military considerations -- 3.3 Summary of legal considerations -- 3.4 Summary of scenario-based considerations -- 3.5 Open questions -- 4. Conclusions -- Appendices.