Who thinks autonomous weapons systems are a good idea? Well, 250+ NGOs don't. Charlotte Akin, Projects & Logistics Officer from the coalition "Campaign to Stop Killer Robots," explains how the coalition works and its main objections to autonomous weapons. Is there any chance for regulation?

Besides presenting the campaign's work, Charlotte gives her perspectives on the black box, meaningful human control, programming ethics into robots and the perspectives for regulation.

Antónoi Guterres and his Holiness Pope Francis have a few words on their own to say on the matter.

Shownotes:

Producer and host: Sune With sunewith@cas.au.dk

Cover artwork: Sebastian Gram

Antonio Guterres’s speech at the UNSC, December 2024.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3YuOC5wQk80

Automated Decision Team

https://automatedresearch.org/

Charlotte Akin, Campaign to Stop Killer Robots

https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/our-team/

Mares, Courtney, 2024-07-10, “Pope Francis tells AI leaders: No machine should ever choose to take human life”, EWTN VATICAN.

https://www.ewtnvatican.com/articles/pope-francis-tells-ai-leaders-no-machine-should-ever-choose-to-take-human-life-3065

Stop Killer Robots

https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/

Stop Killer Robots member organisations.

https://www.stopkillerrobots.org/a-global-push/member-organisations/

The Manila Times, 16. June 2024, Pope Francis calls for ban on “lethal autonomous weapons at G7 meeting.

https://www.youtube.com/shorts/OEKRNA6OMAo

UN, Antonio Guterres stance on autonomous weapons.

https://disarmament.unoda.org/the-convention-on-certain-conventional-weapons/background-on-laws-in-the-ccw/

UN, 2023, different countries’ definitions of autonomous weapons.

https://docs-library.unoda.org/Convention_on_Certain_Conventional_Weapons_-Group_of_Governmental_Experts_on_Lethal_Autonomous_Weapons_Systems_(2023)/CCW_GGE1_2023_CRP.1_0.pdf

UN, resolution A/C. I/79/L.77

https://reachingcriticalwill.org/images/documents/Disarmament-fora/1com/1com24/resolutions/L77.pdf

Music: Sofus Forsberg

What is a social robot, and are autonomous drones social agents? What should a robot do or not do, and how is that connected to autonomous weapons? Johanna Seibt, professor in philosophy and co-founder of the field of robophilosophy, gives her insights on how interactions with robots that can act like agents impact our lives. What does it mean for our mutual respect on the battlefield if we let robots kill? What is phronesis, and in what way can an AI or a robot be programmed ethically? And what is the Collingridge dilemma?

Besides offering her expertise on human-robot interaction, Johanna Seibt reflects on the black box problem, meaningful human control, existential risk and the future of regulating AI.

Shownotes:

Producer and host: Sune With, sunewith@cas.au.dk

Cover art: Sebastian Gram

- Artificial Intelligence Act, 2025, Wikipedia (Accessed April 28. 2025)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_Intelligence_Act

- Collingridge dilemma, Wikipedia, (Accessed April 27. 2025)

- EU AI Act: first regulation on artificial intelligence, 19.02.2025, European Parliament (Accessed April 28. 2025)

https://www.europarl.europa.eu/topics/en/article/20230601STO93804/eu-ai-act-first-regulation-on-artificial-intelligence

- The Research Unit for Robophilosophy (Accessed April 27. 2025)

https://cas.au.dk/en/robophilosophy⁠

- Sullins, John P, 2026, ”Automated Ethical Practical Reasoning: The Problem of Artificial Phronesis”, Chapter 10 in, J. Seibt, R. Hakli, M. Nørskov, Robophilosophy—Philosophy of, for and by Social Robotics, MIT Press (NOT YET PUBLISHED)

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collingridge_dilemma

Music: Sofus Forsberg