The Impact of Emerging Technologies on the Law of Armed Conflict
Ronald T.P. Alcala and Eric Talbot Jensen
Abstract
Emerging technologies have always played an important role in armed conflict. From the crossbow to cyber capabilities, technology that could be weaponized to create an advantage over an adversary has inevitably found its way into military arsenals for use in armed conflict. The weaponization of emerging technologies, however, raises challenging legal issues with respect to the law of armed conflict. As States continue to develop and exploit new technologies, how will the law of armed conflict address the use of these technologies on the battlefield? Is existing law sufficient to regulate new t ... More
Emerging technologies have always played an important role in armed conflict. From the crossbow to cyber capabilities, technology that could be weaponized to create an advantage over an adversary has inevitably found its way into military arsenals for use in armed conflict. The weaponization of emerging technologies, however, raises challenging legal issues with respect to the law of armed conflict. As States continue to develop and exploit new technologies, how will the law of armed conflict address the use of these technologies on the battlefield? Is existing law sufficient to regulate new technologies, such as cyber capabilities, autonomous weapons systems, and artificial intelligence? Have emerging technologies fundamentally altered the way we should understand concepts such as law-of-war precautions and the principle of distinction? How can we ensure compliance and accountability in light of technological advancement? This book explores these critical questions while highlighting the legal challenges—and opportunities—presented by the use of emerging technologies on the battlefield.
Keywords:
Armed conflict,
Weapons,
Use of force, war, peace and neutrality,
Weapons control
Bibliographic Information
| Print publication date: 2019 |
Print ISBN-13: 9780190915322 |
| Published to Oxford Scholarship Online: November 2019 |
DOI:10.1093/oso/9780190915322.001.0001 |
Authors
Affiliations are at time of print publication.
Ronald T.P. Alcala, editor
Academy Professor, Department of Law, United States Military Academy
Eric Talbot Jensen, editor
Professor of Law, BYU Law School
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