War Algorithms in Modern Deliberative Democracies: Parliamentary Technology Assessment as a Public Conscience Discovery Tool?

• Autor(a) principal: Kowalczewska, Kaja
• Data de Publicação: 2022
• Outros Autores: Kijewska, Barbara
• Tipo de documento: Artigo
• Idioma: eng
• Título da fonte: Teoria Jurídica Contemporânea
• Texto Completo: https://revistas.ufrj.br/index.php/rjur/article/view/50767
• topic: lethal autonomous weapon systems; public conscience; qualified public opinion; parliamentary technology assessment

This paper is focused on the intersection of public international law and parliamentary assessment of technologies in the context of discussions on the lethal applications of artificial intelligence. The authors discuss the ‘public conscience requirements’ of the Martens clause as an opportunity to increase the legitimacy of international law by including qualified public opinion in the international law-making process. This is particularly important in the case of controversial technologies such as lethal autonomous weapons systems, which have a fundamental impact on warfare and the application of which comes with both unprecedented benefits and as well as risks for humankind. The authors advocate the actual use of the Parliamentary Technology Assessment (PTA) mechanism as a method based on democratic deliberation and participation, which – especially in times of disinformation and fake news – can provide a reliable source of information and sights for both policy makers as well as the general public. PTA can be also seen as an institutionalised channel allowing civil society to exercise oversight over disruptive military technologies.