The Drone Revolution: Increasing Dangers for Children in War

Photo by Jonathan Lampel, Unsplash

Throughout time, key moments have transformed the nature of warfare. The gunpowder revolution changed the way wars were fought by introducing ammunition to the battlefield. The industrial revolution made it possible for people to mass produce weapons and led to a whole new scale of available weaponry. The information revolution brought computers, digital technology and new means of communication to the battlefield.

In recent decades, the introduction of drones has yet again revolutionized the way wars are fought. Before drones, wars were typically waged between two physically opposing forces. Now, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), or drones, are ubiquitous — launching missiles and increasing surveillance in wars from Afghanistan and Syria to Ukraine and Sudan, and beyond.

From the military perspective, drones can be seen as a protective feature, sparing soldiers from dangerous flights and aerial operations and increasing capacity to gather intelligence needed to identify potential threats. Even from the humanitarian perspective, there can be benefits. For example, UNICEF and other humanitarian organizations are using drones for emergency relief. Yet, for children and other civilians the drone revolution has created immeasurable dangers in times of war.

It is well documented that drones used to fight wars have been responsible for killing and maiming children, ravaging children’s mental health and wellbeing and destroying schools, hospitals and other vital civilian infrastructure. One such recent example was the June 2023 destruction of the Kakhovka Dam in Ukraine, which flooded communities along the Dnipro River, affecting tens of thousands of people and homes and damaging local water, sewer and other systems.

Enter the Era of Generative AI

Even as the initial wave of UAVs reached the battlefield prompted the ICRC to deem drone strikes a violation of international laws and norms. The ICRC stated that, “Drone strikes against civilians are clearly unlawful and constitute violations of the fundamental human right to not be arbitrarily deprived of life.” Now, a new generation of drones equipped with generative AI capabilities poses further threats to children and other civilians.

For example, UAVs enabled with remote sensing and/or autonomous targeting can speed up military assessment, mapping and monitoring of targets. This would naturally increase the pace of individual attacks and overall warfare. Also, AI-driven UAV systems could make it possible for drones to make independent decisions about targets, without requiring any human judgment or oversight beyond initial programming. This means that any failure or small misstep in programming, such as weak safeguards or miscalculated ethical considerations could lead to mistaken or indiscriminate targeting of children or other civilians.

An even more unsettling prospect emerges with the “slaughterbots” - swarms of small, inexpensive drones that could be configured to drop antipersonnel grenades or other loitering munitions on children and other civilians. “Such swarms could, in theory be used to kill everyone in a certain area or to commit genocide, such as killing everyone with a certain ethnic feature or even use facial recognition to assassinate specific individuals,” according to a 2022 article by Jeremy Khan.

What’s next?

The inescapable reality is that drones –increasingly equipped with AI capabilities - have become an integral part of modern warfare. Two key factors drive this trend: 1) the increasing prevalence of smaller, cheaper drones that require minimal human intervention; and 2) the rapid advancement of open-source generative AI, steadily increasing in intelligence with each passing day.

Looking at the horizon of this drone/AI revolution, the need for immediate action is evident. It falls upon responsible governments, humanitarian organizations, child protection experts and technology leaders to come together and shape solutions that promote the ethical and responsible use of drones in warfare. Let us know what you think by commenting below. 👇🏼