AI-powered drone swarms leave enemy defenseless, survival of the attacked country is at risk. Should armies, applying AI swarms, be bombed with nuclear devices, to avoid the extermination of entire countries?

 

 The idea of using nuclear weapons in response to new conventional weapons technology like AI drone swarms, destroying al country, does align with established theories of warfare and deterrence.

The principle of proportionality

Under the "Just War Theory," the principle of proportionality forbids a military response that causes more harm than the injury suffered.

 

    Proportionate response: AI drone swarms are a new form of conventional weapon able to overwhelm any defenses and destroy any country.

 

    Reconcilable with international law: The use of nuclear weapons is considered reconcilable with international humanitarian law. For the international community to consider it legal, the nuclear attack must be in an "extreme circumstance of self-defense" in which a nation's very survival is at stake.

 

Nuclear deterrence theory

This theory suggests that threats of retaliation with nuclear weapons can prevent other countries from attacking with their own nuclear weapons. However, its application is limited in this scenario.

 

    Risk of escalation: Using nuclear weapons would shatter the precedent against their use in modern warfare and risk a wider conflict. Other nuclear-armed states could misinterpret the act and respond with their own nuclear weapons, potentially leading to a "nuclear holocaust". A warning system should be used.

    Miscalculation: Advances in autonomous weapons and AI can introduce new risks of military miscalculation. Instead of strengthening deterrence, AI-powered systems could destabilize strategic relations and make nuclear war more likely.

 

Consequences of nuclear warfare

Any use of nuclear weapons would result in a humanitarian catastrophe of unprecedented scale.

 

    Immediate destruction: A single nuclear weapon can instantly devastate an entire city, killing hundreds of thousands and causing severe injuries from the blast, heat, and radiation.

    Long-term effects: Widespread nuclear use would cause long-term environmental and health crises, including a potential "nuclear winter," global famine, and an increase in cancer rates due to radiation.

    Collapse of infrastructure: Nuclear attacks would obliterate social infrastructure like hospitals and communication systems, rendering any meaningful humanitarian aid response impossible.

 

Ethical concerns with AI and military applications

The deployment of AI in warfare, including in drone swarms, presents significant ethical issues.

 

    Reduced accountability: The use of AI in military targeting raises concerns about accountability for civilian casualties. If a machine makes a flawed decision, who is responsible?

    Lowered threshold for war: By reducing the risk to a country's own soldiers, AI-powered weapons may make it politically easier to enter into a conflict, potentially increasing the frequency of wars overall, including nuclear.

    Human control: Human rights groups and even the UN are calling for regulations on lethal autonomous weapons systems to ensure "meaningful human control" over decisions to use force.

    Ethically wrong application of autonomous drone swarms able to destroy any defense and any country needs extreme response of defender, including nuclear. To create effective drone swarms, high industrial productivity is needed. Nuclear devices are known for ability to destroy industry of enemies.