Autonomous weapons are usually divided into three categories, depending on the human involvement required. When a human is “in the loop” – as with a standard military drone – the weapon can select and attack targets only with a human command. When a human is “on the loop”, the system can select and deliver force on its own, but the human can override it. The Aegis missile defence system, for instance, will identify targets and offer its operator an abort option, but will fire if the human does not override the decision: if a ship is under fire from inbound missiles, requiring human approval could be too slow. Finally, there are “out of the loop” weapons which, once activated, independently select and attack targets.
At present, as far as we know,…
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The Week United Kingdom (Digital) - 1 Issue, V. 1236