Death by Algorithm
Death by Algorithm
Podcast Description
A series on autonomous weapons systems, drones and AI in the military domain. Experts from various disciplines share their research and discuss the black box, responsibility, human-machine interaction, and the future of legal and ethical frameworks for AI in war. How is war regulated? Can the ethics of war be programmed into machines? Does it change how we fight? Can war be cleaned up by technology? How can soldiers understand the systems? Will AI systems be the commanders of tomorrow? Why not just let the robots fight? Episodes are narration and interviews and not chronological
Podcast Insights
Content Themes
The podcast centers around the intersection of technology and warfare, with episodes exploring themes such as the ethical implications of AI in combat, the black box problem in military drones, and legal responsibilities around autonomous weapons. For instance, 'A Taste of Tragedy' examines the impact of autonomous systems through the lens of the Ukraine conflict, while 'Just War' questions the justification of machine-led combat and its philosophical underpinnings.
A series on autonomous weapons systems, drones and AI in the military domain. Experts from various disciplines share their research and discuss the black box, responsibility, human-machine interaction, and the future of legal and ethical frameworks for AI in war. How is war regulated? Can the ethics of war be programmed into machines? Does it change how we fight? Can war be cleaned up by technology? How can soldiers understand the systems? Will AI systems be the commanders of tomorrow? Why not just let the robots fight? Episodes are narration and interviews and not chronological
What is a social robot, and are autonomous drones social agents? What should a robot do or not do, and how is that connected to autonomous weapons? Johanna Seibt, professor in philosophy and co-founder of the field of robophilosophy, gives her insights on how interactions with robots that can act like agents impact our lives. What does it mean for our mutual respect on the battlefield if we let robots kill? What is phronesis, and in what way can an AI or a robot be programmed ethically? And what is the Collingridge dilemma?
Besides offering her expertise on human-robot interaction, Johanna Seibt reflects on the black box problem, meaningful human control, existential risk and the future of regulating AI.
Shownotes:
Producer and host: Sune With, [email protected]
Cover art: Sebastian Gram
– Artificial Intelligence Act, 2025, Wikipedia (Accessed April 28. 2025)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Artificial_Intelligence_Act
– Collingridge dilemma, Wikipedia, (Accessed April 27. 2025)
– EU AI Act: first regulation on artificial intelligence, 19.02.2025, European Parliament (Accessed April 28. 2025)
– The Research Unit for Robophilosophy (Accessed April 27. 2025)
https://cas.au.dk/en/robophilosophy
– Sullins, John P, 2026, ”Automated Ethical Practical Reasoning: The Problem of Artificial Phronesis”, Chapter 10 in, J. Seibt, R. Hakli, M. Nørskov, Robophilosophy—Philosophy of, for and by Social Robotics, MIT Press (NOT YET PUBLISHED)
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Collingridge_dilemma
Music: Sofus Forsberg
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