The logical response, advocated by the United Nations and Human Rights Watch, is a treaty banning robot warfare, similar to the Geneva Protocol of 1925 banning chemical and biological warfare. This misses a crucial distinction, however. Chemical and biological warfare can only increase human suffering, but robot warfare can greatly decrease it. If a war is fought by machines, with humans only in command positions, no one is killed or wounded. Perhaps, then, what we should do, instead of outlawing robot soldiers, is—when we’re ready—outlaw human soldiers.
