A Virtue Ethics Argument for Artificial Moral Reasoning in Autonomous Weapons Systems

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dc.contributor.advisor Ruttkamp-Bloem, Emma
dc.contributor.postgraduate Maiyane, Karabo Samuel
dc.date.accessioned 2020-01-21T06:28:08Z
dc.date.available 2020-01-21T06:28:08Z
dc.date.created 2020-04
dc.date.issued 2019-10
dc.description Dissertation (MPhil)--University of Pretoria, 2019. en_ZA
dc.description.abstract This dissertation focuses on the ethics of artificial intelligence, specifically in relation to Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems. I investigate which moral system of reasoning will be best suited to govern the conduct of LAWS in warfare. Specifically, I argue that virtue ethics is a solution to the problem of artificial moral reasoning in the case of LAWS. This is different from considering whether a virtue ethics system of moral reasoning would inform the environment in which LAWS are programmed. My focus is rather, whether, once it becomes possible to establish a system of codifiable moral reasoning, virtue ethics would be the best normative choice for such a system. My argument will be based on the following premises: the moral status of LAWS in warfare should be that of combatants and thus LAWS should have some level of moral agency; it is morally justifiable to deploy LAWS in warfare; a combination of both top down and bottom up approaches (a hybrid approach) could be the best programming approach for artificial moral reasoning in LAWS; and a hybrid approach, using Aristotle’s virtues ethics framework and coupled with defeasible reasoning, is the best solution at present for artificial moral reasoning in LAWS. These premises will be broken into chapters and explained in detail to illustrate how each of them fits into the above stated argument to culminate in the conclusion that virtue ethics is a solution to the problem of artificial moral reasoning in the case of LAWS. en_ZA
dc.description.availability Unrestricted en_ZA
dc.description.degree MPhil en_ZA
dc.description.department Philosophy en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorship Center for Artificial Intelligence Research en_ZA
dc.description.sponsorship University of Pretoria Postgraduate Bursary en_ZA
dc.identifier.citation Maiyane, KS 2019, A Virtue Ethics Argument for Artificial Moral Reasoning in Autonomous Weapons Systems, MPhil Dissertation, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, viewed yymmdd <http://hdl.handle.net/2263/72857> en_ZA
dc.identifier.other A2020 en_ZA
dc.identifier.uri http://hdl.handle.net/2263/72857
dc.language.iso en en_ZA
dc.publisher University of Pretoria
dc.rights © 2019 University of Pretoria. All rights reserved. The copyright in this work vests in the University of Pretoria. No part of this work may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, without the prior written permission of the University of Pretoria.
dc.subject UCTD en_ZA
dc.title A Virtue Ethics Argument for Artificial Moral Reasoning in Autonomous Weapons Systems en_ZA
dc.type Dissertation en_ZA


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