Autonomous Weapon Systems and Dignity in Warfare

Respect for human dignity is frequently considered the final argument against developing and deploying Autonomous Weapon Systems (AWS). This view often approaches the use of this technology on the battlefield as sheer mechanized slaughter, which is an unacceptable affront to the dignity of the fallen, civilians and combatants alike. However, arguments based on human dignity often fall short of explaining the grounds of this concept, which makes it so decisive, and the reasons why dignity would be uniquely compromised in combat scenarios involving AWS while being respected in current warfare. The aim of this article is to analyze human dignity in the context of warfare, drawing on moral and political philosophy, military ethics, and philosophy of technology. In this analysis, warfare is conceived as an interpersonal relationship in which dignity is a value directly related to the determination and ability of the belligerent parties to adhere to the principles of International Humanitarian Law (IHL). Therefore, the assessment should center on the effect of technological mediation in this relationship for which we apply the human-technology relations posited by recent postphenomenology scholarship.