Weapons

Autonomous weapons: Useful if well regulated

And contrary to what Roff has suggested, autonomous weapons could play a number of useful military roles—all while conforming to international humanitarian law. Groves argues that autonomous weapons operating in permissive environments might one day attack tank formations in remote areas such as deserts—or attack warships positioned far from commercial shipping routes. Such uses of autonomous weapons would conform to the principle of distinction—an element of international humanitarian law that requires parties to a conflict to distinguish between civilians and combatants and to direct attacks only against the latter. In combat zones with no civilians or civilian objects present, it would be impossible for autonomous weapons to violate the principle of distinction.