Defining Autonomous Weapon Systems: A schematic framework for refined purpose-driven definitions

Abstract

The literature on autonomous weapon systems (AWS) includes many proposed definitions for these (types of) systems, with core disagreements between scholars, governments, and international regulatory bodies. In this article, we present and critique prevailing (classes of) definitions, arguing that what is needed is not a singular definition, but rather a definitional framework which allows one to classify different sorts of AWS within the same conceptual family. Recognizing we cannot foresee all future AWS, we show how variations on a broadly accepted definition can be used to produce a definitional schema which can be easily modified in order to classify various concepts belonging to the class of AWS.