It is important here to make another key distinction: What machines are capable of doing (automation) and what humans permit machines to do (autonomy) are very different things. There is no such thing as an “autonomous” machine, technically speaking, because autonomy describes a relationship, not a thing. It is the relationship between a superior actor that delegates tasks to subordinate actors under certain parameters. This kind of relationship is pervasive in militaries. Indeed, it is the foundation of effective and ethical military conduct in war and peace.
