Introduction

Artificial intelligence (AI) has seen a surge in relevance. In the early 2020s alone, so-called autonomous weapon systems (AWS) have seen use in Libya, Ukraine and Gaza, and their relevance will only continue to increase. AWS have been subject to significant academic, diplomatic and policy discussion, but a majority of these works focus on high-level concerns, such as whether international humanitarian law (IHL) can be programmed into AWS, or how States should fulfil their weapon review obligations when AWS are involved. In contrast, the perspective of the commander—the end-user ultimately making the decision to employ AWS—is underappreciated. Their role is nevertheless crucial: commanders, due to their proximity to the battlefield, are the best positioned to ensure that weapon systems remain under control, play a decisive part in ensuring that IHL obligations remain upheld, and bear primary legal responsibility for weapons release. This chapter introduces the main question explored in this book—how commanders should navigate the technological particularities of AI to discharge their targeting obligations when using AI—and the analytical steps that must be taken to explore this matter. It also introduces both the technology under consideration and the different actors involved. Finally, it clarifies a crucial approach taken in this book, namely the presumption of goodwill: instead of focusing on malicious actors using the technology badly, this book prefers the constructive focus of empowering good-faith actors to use the technology better. The chapter ends with a roadmap that outlines the future chapters of the book.