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Fakultät für Mathematik und Informatik Artificial Intelligence and Warfare: Navigating the Ethical Frontlines

  • Tuesday, 24. June 2025, 18:00
  • Mathematikon, Hörsaal, Im Neuenheimer Feld 205, 69120 Heidelberg
    • Prof. em. Raja Chatila, Sorbonne Université (Frankreich), Institute of Intelligent Systems and Robotics

“Autonomy” in the context robotics and Artificial Intelligence translates into a machine capability to make decisions by itself based on data and sensory inputs, according to a predefined process that leaves some latitude to the machine. The extent and dimensionality of the decisional space draws a fuzzy frontier between automation and autonomy. In the context of warfare, the absence of a commonly agreed-upon definition of a lethal autonomous weapon system (LAWS) has hampered progress to legally framing their development and use. A central question raised by LAWS is about human autonomy, from which stem human moral responsibility and legal accountability. It is indeed the conflation of human decision and machine decision, captured by the notion of meaningful control (by humans), that has to be precisely analyzed. Another issue that raises an ethical challenge for humanity is how much the development of LAWS could shape the very concept of war and the conduct of future violent conflicts.

Öffentliche Vortragsreihe: KI und Ethik

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About Raja Chatila

Raja Chatila is professor emeritus of Artificial Intelligence, Robotics and Digital Ethics at Sorbonne University, Paris (France), and previously research director at the CNRS. He directed the SMART laboratory of excellence on human-machine interactions as well as the Institute of Intelligent Systems and Robotics (ISIR) at Sorbonne University, and previously the Laboratory of Systems Analysis and Architecture of the CNRS in Toulouse. His scientific work covers several topics in autonomous robotics, artificial intelligence and human-machine interaction, as well as ethics in digital technologies. He is the author of more than 180 international publications. He is chair of the Global Initiative on Ethics of Autonomous and Intelligent Systems of the IEEE (Institute of Electronics and Electrical Engineers), former co-chair of the “Responsible AI” working group of the Global Partnership on AI (GPAI), and was member of the National Pilot Committee on Digital Ethics in France. He was a member of the European Commission's High-Level Expert Group on Artificial Intelligence. A Fellow of the IEEE, Prof. Chatila received the IEEE Robotics and Automation Pioneer Award.

Alle Termine der Veranstaltung 'Öffentliche Vortragsreihe: KI und Ethik'

Künstliche Intelligenz (KI) verändert unsere Welt in rasantem Tempo – von automatisierten Entscheidungen in der Medizin bis hin zu Algorithmen, die unseren Alltag erleichtern. Doch mit diesen Fortschritten kommen auch neue ethische Fragen: Wer trägt Verantwortung für KI-Entscheidungen? Wie können wir Diskriminierung durch Algorithmen verhindern? Und finden wir die Balance zwischen Innovation und Datenschutz? Besonders brisant sind Fragen rund um den Einsatz von KI in sicherheitskritischen Bereichen. Autonome Waffensysteme werfen ethische und völkerrechtliche Bedenken auf: Dürfen Maschinen über Leben und Tod entscheiden? Gleichzeitig beeinflussen KI-gestützte Informationssysteme und Social Media die Demokratie, indem sie Meinungsbildung steuern und Wahlen beeinflussen können. Die von der Fakultät für Mathematik und Informatik der Universität Heidelberg veranstaltete Vortragsreihe „KI und Ethik“ mit Expert:innen aus der Wissenschaft beleuchtet diese und weitere zentrale Themen.

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