Wartime Kill Switch: Human or AI?
Open to Debate3 Okt 2025

Wartime Kill Switch: Human or AI?

As modern warfare becomes increasingly automated and AI-reliant, questions arise about the use of a “kill switch” overriding autonomous weapons in conflict zones. Should the ultimate decision be in humans’ or AI’s hands? Those arguing for human oversight say moral reasoning, empathy, and legal accountability are essential, especially in wartime. Supporters of AI integration argue that machines can make faster, more precise, and less emotional decisions, which could prove more humane than past approaches. Now we debate: Wartime Kill Switch: Human or AI? Arguing "Human": Elliot Ackerman, Former Marine Raider Officer and CIA Special Activities Officer; Bestselling Author Laura Walker McDonald, Senior Advisor for New Technologies & Conflict at the International Committee of the Red Cross Arguing "AI": Michael C. Horowitz, Senior Fellow for Technology and Innovation at the Council on Foreign Relations; Director of Perry World House and Richard Perry Professor at the University of Pennsylvania Jack Shanahan, Inaugural Director of Joint Artificial Intelligence Center, Office of the Department of Defense Chief Information Officer Emmy award-winning journalist John Donvan moderates Visit OpentoDebate.org to watch more insightful debates. Subscribe to our newsletter to stay informed on our curated weekly debates, dynamic live events, and educational initiatives. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Episoder(455)

#118 - Is Free Speech Threatened On Campus?

#118 - Is Free Speech Threatened On Campus?

Protests have erupted on university campuses across the country. To many, these students are speaking out against racial injustice that has long been manifested in unwelcoming, sometimes hostile envir...

8 Mar 201653min

#117 - Are Lifespans Long Enough?

#117 - Are Lifespans Long Enough?

What if we didn’t have to grow old and die? The average American can expect to live for 78.8 years, an improvement over the days before clean water and vaccines, but it's still not long enough for mos...

10 Feb 201655min

#116 - Should The U.S. Let In 100,000 Syrian Refugees?

#116 - Should The U.S. Let In 100,000 Syrian Refugees?

Since the Syrian Civil War began in 2011, more than 4 million Syrians have fled the country, creating the greatest refugee crisis since World War II. The United States has taken in just over 2,000 Syr...

20 Jan 201652min

#115 - Does The Equal Protection Clause Forbid Racial Preferences In State University Admissions?

#115 - Does The Equal Protection Clause Forbid Racial Preferences In State University Admissions?

The Fourteenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution provides that: "No State shall … deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws.” Yet many state universities give substa...

9 Des 201554min

#114 - Can Central Banks Print Prosperity?

#114 - Can Central Banks Print Prosperity?

Central banks all around the world have been printing money. This policy, known as quantitative easing in banker jargon, has driven up the price of stocks and bonds. But will it lead to real and susta...

25 Nov 201555min

#113 - Do U.S. Prosecutors Have Too Much Power?

#113 - Do U.S. Prosecutors Have Too Much Power?

Autonomy and secrecy, complex criminal code and mandatory minimums -- in combination, these factors have given prosecutors enormous leverage, and the opportunity to wield it relentlessly and selective...

17 Nov 201552min

#112 - Should College Students Be Allowed To Take Smart Drugs?

#112 - Should College Students Be Allowed To Take Smart Drugs?

If you could take a pill that would help you study and get better grades, would you? Off-label use of “smart drugs” – pharmaceuticals meant to treat disorders like ADHD, narcolepsy, and Alzheimer’s – ...

9 Nov 201552min

#111 - Should We Raise The Federal Gas Tax To Fund Infrastructure?

#111 - Should We Raise The Federal Gas Tax To Fund Infrastructure?

The Highway Trust Fund provides funding for road, bridge, and mass transit projects across the country – and it’s running out of money. Its revenue source, the federal gas tax, has not been raised in ...

4 Nov 201552min

Populært innen Politikk og nyheter

giver-og-gjengen-vg
aftenpodden
aftenpodden-usa
popradet
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
forklart
stopp-verden
rss-gukild-johaug
dine-penger-pengeradet
det-store-bildet
rss-ness
nokon-ma-ga
hanna-de-heldige
fotballpodden-2
aftenbla-bla
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-utenrikskomiteen-med-bogen-og-grasvik
rss-dannet-uten-piano
e24-podden
bt-dokumentar-2