Training the Ethical Employment of Lethal Autonomous Weapons (TEELAWS)

This proposal is to develop an intelligent interactive instructional module for Training the Ethical Employment of Lethal Autonomous Weapons (TEELAWS).  In the Sequential Phase II we will modify the Bayesian decision making algorithms that Perceptronics Solutions developed in the CETLAWS (Calibration of Ethical Trust for Lethal Autonomous Weapons) Air Force Phase II project to accommodate the Army’s related educational purposes. Rather than make engagement decisions, the Bayesian algorithm will be operating on an autonomous basis and providing environmental feedback about operational considerations and collateral risks. The new software will become the basis for developing a training module focused on teaching soldiers to incorporate autonomous systems into their operations in a way that constitutes an appropriate exercise of command responsibility. Our instructional module will initially be embedded in West Point officer training, but will also be available to military training activities in other services and agencies. And once the officers have learned the model based ethical decision making principles and technology they will be able to promote the product use in operational LAWS for which they are responsible, either in development or in the field.  In addition, we will pursue commercial adaptations of the instructional module for use by the many companies currently engaged in and expanding such ethically challenged fields as self-driving cars and other applications of robotics and artificial intelligence.