It goes without saying that the fields of artificial intelligence and machine learning have taken the world by storm. From finance to healthcare, all types of industries continue to benefit tremendously from these technological advances. The defense industry and military are of particular concern, specifically due to the advancements in autonomous weapons technology. Autonomous weapons systems (AWS) not only remain at the forefront of technological advancements through increased development in the defense sector, but it also poses critical questions and implications for experts in the social spheres. Such a complex field must balance ethical and legal considerations with technological advancements. Beyond that, it also brings into focus complex, and arguably tense, international dynamics. Fostering both discussion and a greater interconnectedness of all of these fields is necessary for such technology to properly develop and integrate.

Through PURM, I had the unique opportunity to work at the Center for Ethics and the Rule of Law (CERL) on a white-paper alongside Andy Knox, a Master’s student at Johns Hopkins University School of Advanced International Studies, and Anagha Vasudevarao, a 2L at Penn Carey Law. Over the course of 9 weeks and with the help of our mentor Dr. Heather Roff, a leading expert in this field, we worked together to further explore such a complex and pressing issue. Our final paper explores the technological, legal, and global governance side of this issue, offering a multi-faceted and interdisciplinary perspective into this issue. We criticize current policy and discussion, while also posing interesting legal frameworks and governance solutions. This poster offers a high level overview of our goals and findings, and I invite you to read further into this subject through the QR-code provided on the poster.