Option 1: The Ethics of Autonomous Warfare (Academic/Political)
: Discuss the "moral offloading" that occurs when machines select targets. If a robot commits a war crime, is the programmer or the commander responsible?. Bot Wars
This essay explores the legacy of the and the rise of robot combat as a sport like BattleBots . Bot wars: the arms race, SEAS-style Bot wars: the arms race, SEAS-style Option 2:
Option 2: Robot Combat and the Evolution of STEM (Cultural/Technical) Because "Bot Wars" refers to several different concepts,
: Define the "robotic revolution" in modern military affairs. Introduce the tension between increased precision and the loss of human moral accountability.
: Contrast the benefit of robots—who don't feel rage or fatigue—with the "dignity argument": the idea that humans have a right to be killed only by a moral agent who made a choice.
Because "Bot Wars" refers to several different concepts, here are three essay outlines based on the most common interpretations: a futuristic military ethics analysis, a reflection on robot combat as a sport, or a literary analysis of the Bot Wars novel series.