Correct action requires coding rules, matching repertoires, and sufficient information.

Evidence

As roboticist Noel Sharkey (who is fiercely opposed to the development of such programs) explains, the deliberation software for an “ethical robot” must, like any other program, necessarily incorporate not only rules but also specifications. In other words, an order to “target only legitimate targets” is an empty operation if there is no specification of what is covered by the variable term “target.” Similarly, one can attempt to codify the principle of proportionality (good luck with that), but it will always be necessary to specify, whether directly or indirectly, what constitutes the acceptable proportion of the number of civilians killed to the military advantage expected. In short, the parameters of the decision need to be specified, and that specification is not done by the program itself. A higher-level choice is needed—a decision about the decision. — Grégoire Chamayou, A Theory of the Drone, 676 (#qualifies, via linked claim)

Categorization

• XREF: connects to: Ethical rules for robots require human specifications of their key variables — Grégoire Chamayou, A Theory of the Drone, 676

Related

• Ethical rules for robots require human specifications of their key variables (similarity 0.91)
• Embedding ethics in software cannot guarantee lawful conduct because software is reprogrammable. (similarity 0.81)
• The danger of military robots is their incapacity to disobey (similarity 0.79)
• Programmatic specification centralizes lethal command more tightly than separate orders (similarity 0.79)

Broader Connections

• Ethical rules for robots require human specifications of their key variables #qualifies (0.55) — Grégoire Chamayou, A Theory of the Drone, 676