Let’s Hear from the Experts
Here is some expert content to deepen your understanding of how digital resources are weaponized. The case study below highlights how the Campaign to Stop Killer Robots is advocating for an international ban on autonomous weapons.
Expert Input
A Day of Weaponized Digital Technologies
In late 2021, two eventsin the Philippines highlighted how digital tools and platforms are being used to attack democracy and spread harmful content.
First an emergency alert system was used to spread political propaganda. Second, the website of the senate of the Philippines was attacked. These incidents took place during the filing of certificates of candidacy for the upcoming national elections.
(Source: Philippine Digital Justice Initiative, a project supported by WACC Global.)
Printing Weapons at Home
Three-dimensional (3D) printing differs from traditional printing and manufacturing. Instead of using a mold to produce an object, a 3D printer uses a digital file that can be easily modified, shared, and sold.
These designs can be used to make all kinds of wonderful things, including affordable prosthetic limbs for people who need them. They can also be used to produce homemade weapons like handguns.
This video shows the ease with which sophisticated weapons can be made digitally and the growing enthusiasm for unlicensed, untraceable, illegal arms.
(Source: Vice Media, a privately owned US-Canadian global digital media and broadcasting company known for immersive journalism and youth-focused content.)
Case Study
The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots
Who: The Campaign to Stop Killer Robots is a coalition of more than 250 NGOs from over 65 countries, including Human Rights Watch and Amnesty International. It brings together activists, scientists, and technology experts to advocate for an international treaty to ban lethal autonomous weapons systems (LAWS). They are working toward a United Nations treaty similar to the one that bans nuclear weapons.
When: Launched in October 2012, the campaign has gained momentum over the past decade, establishing AI and LAWS as an undeniably important international disarmament topic. The coalition targets high-level decision making, like the annual meetings of the UN Convention on Certain Conventional Weapons (CCW).
Where: The campaign operates globally, with primary advocacy efforts in Geneva and New York to keep a close eye on United Nations processes. Regional advocacy efforts also take place in Europe, Africa, Asia, and Latin America, mobilizing partners in these regions.
Why: The coalition argues that LAWS could make life-and-death decisions without human oversight, posing profound ethical, humanitarian, and security risks. Their primary concern is that delegating lethal decisions to machines could lead to violations of international law and humanitarian principles. Additionally, the potential for LAWS to escalate conflicts and harm civilians makes their regulation an urgent global priority.
What: The campaign seeks a comprehensive, legally binding international treaty banning the development, production, and use of fully autonomous weapons. Their goal is to establish a clear global standard, to keep humans in the loop when it comes to war and weapons. They want to prevent an AI arms race and protect civilians from the harms of unchecked AI in conflict and war.
How: Through advocacy at UN conferences, public awareness campaigns, and partnerships, the coalition pushes for international regulation of LAWS. They use research, expert testimonies, and media outreach to build public and political support, organizing panel discussions and high-profile demonstrations worldwide. By urging nations to commit to a ban, they work to create a binding international consensus on the prohibition of so-called killer robots.
Break Time
You must need a break! We have taken a look at some of the harmful ways people use digital resources in conflict, oppression, and war. We have also pointed to how some organizations are defending digital resources and spaces, using them for the common good. Here are some questions to think about before you head into the hands-on section of the lesson:
- What responsibility do tech companies have to prevent their technologies being used for harmful purposes?
- How can you recognize cyberbullying and harassment?
- Do you think the dark web can and should be a place for advocacy, mobilizing communities and promoting digital justice?
Have you gathered your thoughts? Noted your questions? Ready to go futher?
Great! Then let’s keep going. Click the button below to head toward the final part of this session.