Periodic Reporting for period 4 - DRONETHICS (Emergent Ethics of Drone Violence: Toward a Comprehensive Governance Framework)
Okres sprawozdawczy: 2023-01-01 do 2023-06-30
DRONETHICS has been helping to ensure ethical debate keeps pace with the accelerating proliferation and scientific progress of weaponized drone technology. Based on theorization of the multifaceted nature of drone violence, and assessment of moral arguments for and against it, we have been developing principled and evidence-based recommendations. This expansive approach to emergent ethics is more conducive to discerning the true essence of drone violence and more likely to lead to a holistic framework for governing it effectively and justly. Our research has focused on three big questions: What is drone violence? Why can drone violence be morally justified or condemned? How should drone violence be prevented, restricted or permitted? The main objectives of DRONETHICS are: (Theory) to develop a comprehensive theory of drone violence as a basis for normative thinking; (Judgment) to discover and assess how officials, academics, drone operators and AI engineers make a moral case for or against drone violence; and (Governance) to generate value-sensitive policy recommendations on preventing, restricting or permitting drone violence in differing circumstances.
At the project’s conclusion, research findings show that armed drones have the potential to illuminate or exacerbate six kinds of moral problems: unjust decisions to resort to violence in international affairs; the use of indiscriminate and/or disproportionate methods of warfare; excessive use of force in the enforcement of domestic criminal law; extrajudicial punishment of criminal wrongdoing; the incurring of moral injury from the experience of killing another person; and inadequate human control over the operation of weapon systems.
The Principal Investigator has recruited and managed two postdoctoral research associates (PDRA1 since December 2018 and PDRA2 since February 2019), and a project website was launched in May 2019. In July 2019 our research workshop in Southampton involved 14 participants (from Australia, France, Germany, Netherlands, UK and US) discussing the theme “Governing Drone Violence: Concepts, Moralities, and Rules”. Selected workshop papers were revised into 9 chapters for a volume edited by the PI and published in January 2021. A policy-oriented workshop on “Developing the Armed Drone Code of Ethics”, in London in March 2022, involved representatives of non-government organizations. All project team members received approval from a University of Southampton research ethics committee to conduct in-person or online interviews. Research participants have been recruited, and an appointed Ethics Adviser has been available to give independent advice. Manuscript submissions to publishers: 11 articles, 8 chapters, 1 conference proceedings paper, 2 authored books, 1 edited volume, and 2 policy papers. Research findings also disseminated at 20 conferences, 14 workshops, and 51 other events.
The PI has: led WPs 1-3 and 7; contributed to WPs 4-6; maintained a website; liaised with the Ethics Adviser; recruited research participants for WPs 2 and 3; co-organized 2 project workshops; submitted to publishers 5 articles, 4 chapters, 1 edited volume (of 9 chapters), 1 book manuscript, and 2 policy papers; participated in 15 conferences and 4 workshops; and disseminated research findings at 30 other events.
PDRA1 has: led WP4; contributed to WPs 1, 6 and 7; recruited research participants for WP4; co-organized two project workshops; submitted to publishers 2 articles and 1 chapter; participated in 2 conferences and 2 workshops; and disseminated research findings at 3 other events.
PDRA2 has: led WP5; contributed to WPs 1, 6 and 7; recruited research participants for WP5; submitted to publishers 4 articles, 3 chapters, 1 conference proceedings paper, and 1 book manuscript; participated in 3 conferences and 8 workshops; and disseminated research findings at 18 other events.