In the fourth year of Russia’s full-scale invasion, Ukraine’s war has become a crucible for the technologies of the 21st century. Among the most transformative—yet controversial—tools now emerging on the front lines are battlefield AI systems, particularly those designed to autonomously detect, identify, track, and, in some cases, kill enemy targets. Often dubbed “hunter-killer algorithms,” these systems are rapidly reshaping the nature of combat and raising profound ethical questions about the
If ethical boundaries get thrown out in times of trouble, we don’t have ethical boundaries. It’s easy to not step over the line in times of peace.