Moral responsibility in the age of machine warfare

Moral responsibility in the age of machine warfare

Moral responsibility in the age of machine warfare
Every drone strike and every algorithmic decision carry the weight of moral responsibility. (AFP photo)
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In the artificial glow of Techville’s neon lights, the city gleams like a polished machine — a utopia of innovation, efficiency and wealth. Yet beneath its metallic sheen, the cracks of its ideals grow wider, exposing the fragile, chaotic reality of ethics in modern warfare.

Techville, a self-proclaimed beacon of progress, finds itself grappling with questions it can no longer ignore: What happens when the tools of tomorrow clash with the morality of humanity? How does one create coexistence in a world teetering on the brink of its own destruction?

The irony is inescapable. A city built on the promise of a brighter future now finds itself manufacturing instruments of destruction.

Samir’s story, though fictional, echoes across the globe — a child in the crosshairs of conflict, caught between the ambition of advanced weaponry and the simplicity of a wooden toy carved by his father. His life is a stark reminder that the cost of progress is often paid in innocence.

Techville’s most celebrated industry is its defense technology sector, a juggernaut of artificial intelligence, robotics, and quantum computing. “Efficiency for security” is its motto, yet the definition of security remains as elusive as ever.

For Samir, security is the absence of roaring planes and trembling walls. For the architects of war in Techville, it is the cold, calculated numbers on a risk analysis report.

Here lies the crux of the problem: The unpredictability of ethical content in war. Every drone strike and every algorithmic decision carry the weight of moral responsibility.

But who bears this burden? The programmers in their glass towers, insulated from the consequences of their code? The policymakers who sign off on missions with sanitized terms like neutralization or collateral damage? Or the society that cheers for the illusion of safety while its humanity erodes?

It is not just a question for Techville; it is a question for all of us, as we hurtle into an era where machines can kill, decisions are made at the speed of light, and the consequences of those decisions linger for generations.

For Samir, the sky — a symbol of boundless dreams and infinite potential — has become a source of terror. His story is the antithesis of Techville’s vision. While Techville looks upward to the stars with ambition, Samir looks up in fear. His wooden toy, carved with love, stands in quiet defiance against the cold, impersonal machinery that defines his nights.

Yet Samir dreams. He dreams of a sky without drones, of walls that do not tremble, of a place where children can sleep without wondering if tomorrow will come. His dreams, fragile yet persistent, hold a lesson for Techville and for the world: Progress without humanity is a hollow victory.

Techville prides itself on control — over technology, markets, narratives. But control in warfare is a mirage. The algorithms that power Techville’s defense systems are not immune to bias, nor are they capable of understanding the nuanced moral dilemmas of human conflict.

A drone can distinguish between a weapon and a toy, but it cannot comprehend the weight of a child’s fear or the grief of a parent.

Rafael Hernandez de Santiago

A drone can distinguish between a weapon and a toy, but it cannot comprehend the weight of a child’s fear or the grief of a parent.

Moreover, as Techville’s systems grow more sophisticated, they become more opaque. The city’s brightest minds cannot fully explain how their creations make decisions. This unpredictability is not just a flaw; it is also a threat. It is the kind of threat that turns the dream of a safer world into a dystopian nightmare.

The story of Techville and Samir calls for a radical rethinking of coexistence. If progress is to mean anything, it must begin with empathy, with the recognition that our lives are interconnected in ways that transcend borders, technologies and ideologies.

Techville’s leaders must take a page from the past — a past where respect and understanding were not seen as weaknesses but as strengths. The image of a classroom with a cross and the word “Allah” hanging side by side is not just a relic of simpler times; it is also a blueprint for a future where differences are celebrated, not exploited.

This is not a call to abandon technology but to humanize it: To create systems that prioritize life over efficiency, that consider the long-term consequences of actions, that aim not just to win wars, but also to prevent them.

In its quest to build the future, Techville has become a symbol of humanity’s oldest flaw: The belief that power can exist without responsibility. Its neon lights shine bright, but their glare obscures the shadows of the sky — the children like Samir, the families torn apart, the humanity lost in the pursuit of control.

The irony is that the solutions Techville seeks are not found in its labs or algorithms but in the simple, enduring values of compassion, respect and humility — in the soft hum of a mother’s lullaby, in the quiet strength of a father standing guard, in the dreams of a child tracing the grooves of a wooden toy.

As Techville debates its future, the world must listen to the cry for peace that echoes in Samir’s story. It is a cry that transcends borders, languages and technologies. It is a cry that demands we look beyond the immediacy of our ambitions and consider the legacy we leave behind.

The choice is ours: To continue on a path of unpredictability and destruction or to chart a new course — one where coexistence is not just a dream but also a reality, where the sky is a source of wonder, not fear, and where progress is measured not in profits but in the lives we touch and the peace we create.

Rafael Hernandez de Santiago, viscount of Espes, is a Spanish national residing in Saudi Arabia and working at the Gulf Research Center.

 

Disclaimer: Views expressed by writers in this section are their own and do not necessarily reflect Arab News' point of view

Putin’s order for three-day truce with Ukraine enters force

Putin’s order for three-day truce with Ukraine enters force
Updated 7 min 50 sec ago
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Putin’s order for three-day truce with Ukraine enters force

Putin’s order for three-day truce with Ukraine enters force
  • Putin announced the truce last month as a “humanitarian” gesture, following pressure from Trump
  • Ukraine never agreed to the truce and has dismissed it as theatrics, calling instead for a 30-day ceasefire

MOSCOW: Russian President Vladimir Putin’s order for a three-day truce with Ukraine to coincide with Moscow’s World War II Victory Day commemorations has taken effect, Russian state media reported.
Ukraine never agreed to the truce and has dismissed it as theatrics, calling instead for a 30-day ceasefire.
The three-day order began at midnight Thursday (2100 GMT on Wednesday) and is scheduled to last until the end of Saturday, according to the Kremlin.
“The ceasefire ... on the 80th anniversary of the Great Victory has begun,” Russia’s state RIA news agency reported.
Hours before Putin’s order was scheduled to enter force, Moscow and Kyiv traded a slew of aerial attacks, prompting airport closures in Russia and leaving at least two dead in Ukraine.
The Kremlin has said Russian forces will honor Putin’s order to cease fire, but will respond “immediately” if Ukraine launches any attacks.
Putin announced the truce last month as a “humanitarian” gesture, following pressure from the United States to halt his three-year assault on Ukraine.
US President Donald Trump has been trying to broker a lasting ceasefire between Moscow and Kyiv since his inauguration, but has failed to extract any major concessions from the Kremlin.
Putin rejected a joint US-Ukrainian proposal for an unconditional ceasefire in March, and has since offered only slim contributions to Trump’s peace efforts.
Ukraine has said it does not believe Russia will adhere to this truce and accused Moscow of hundreds of violations during a previous, 30-hour ceasefire ordered by Putin over Easter.


Saudi Arabia ‘categorically rejects’ Israel’s plan to seize Gaza territory

Saudi Arabia ‘categorically rejects’ Israel’s plan to seize Gaza territory
Updated 22 min 4 sec ago
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Saudi Arabia ‘categorically rejects’ Israel’s plan to seize Gaza territory

Saudi Arabia ‘categorically rejects’ Israel’s plan to seize Gaza territory
  • Israeli authorities on Monday approved plans to take over territory and forcibly displace population
  • Kingdom’s Foreign Ministry strongly condemns Israel’s violations of international law

RIYADH: Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs has “categorically rejected” plans by Israel to expand its military operations in Gaza and seize control of the territory.

The ministry also “strongly condemned the continued Israeli violations of international law and international humanitarian law.”

Israeli authorities on Monday approved a new ground operation to take over parts of Gaza, forcibly displace Palestinians into the south of the territory, and control the distribution of humanitarian aid. The Israeli army is calling up tens of thousands of reserve soldiers.

The announcement sparked widespread international condemnation. Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Ministry said it stood firmly opposed to any attempted expansion of Israeli settlements in the occupied Palestinian territories, and stressed the importance of holding Israel accountable for failures to comply with international resolutions.

The Kingdom continues to have “unwavering support for the Palestinian cause, in line with international legitimacy, the Arab Peace Initiative, and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state on the 1967 borders, with east Jerusalem as its capital,” the ministry added.


PSG finish off Arsenal to reach Champions League final

PSG finish off Arsenal to reach Champions League final
Updated 57 min 45 sec ago
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PSG finish off Arsenal to reach Champions League final

PSG finish off Arsenal to reach Champions League final
  • Nevertheless, PSG made it 2-0 on the night when Dembele, on from the bench, teed up Hakimi to finish in style

PARIS: Paris Saint-Germain clinched a place in the Champions League final as goals by Fabian Ruiz and Achraf Hakimi gave them a 2-1 win over Arsenal in the second leg of their last-four tie on Wednesday, securing a 3-1 aggregate triumph.
Ruiz crashed in a shot from the edge of the area in the 27th minute at the Parc des Princes to leave PSG firmly in the driving seat after they had withstood an early bombardment from the visitors.
Already leading in the tie after Ousmane Dembele’s goal in last week’s first leg, PSG then saw Vitinha have a second-half penalty saved.
However, Hakimi put the tie beyond Arsenal when he scored in the 72nd minute, even if Bukayo Saka did then pull one back for the visitors.
PSG advance to a showdown in Munich on May 31 against Inter Milan, and it will be the second Champions League final in their history, five years after a defeat by Bayern Munich in Lisbon.
Arsenal, meanwhile, saw their European dream come to an end as they fell short of reaching what would have been their second final, 19 years after losing to Barcelona in Paris.
Still without a trophy since the 2020 FA Cup, all that is left to play for now for Mikel Arteta’s side is securing a third consecutive second-place finish in the Premier League.
There was an electric atmosphere all evening in Paris, and PSG were able to celebrate getting to a final in front of their fans for the first time, after their victory against RB Leipzig in the last four in 2020 was played behind closed doors during the pandemic.
There was a feverish mood in and around the ground pre-match, but PSG have tripped up in big Champions League ties plenty of times over the last decade.
In addition, their top scorer Dembele was not in the starting line-up having come off with a hamstring problem in the first leg.
Arsenal, with Thomas Partey back in midfield after missing the first leg through suspension, did their best to silence the raucous home support by throwing everything at the Parisians right from the off.
Declan Rice headed just wide, and goalkeeper Gianluigi Donnarumma denied Gabriel Martinelli from close range before producing a stunning save low to his left to keep out a Martin Odegaard shot, all inside the opening eight minutes.
PSG did eventually settle, and they almost went ahead on 17 minutes when Desire Doue teed up Khvicha Kvaratskhelia, whose curling shot hit the far post.
Then Doue wasted a great chance, shooting straight at David Raya in the Arsenal goal after Bradley Barcola had intercepted a loose ball.
But PSG did score before the half-hour mark, the goal coming in the wake of a free-kick awarded for a Rice foul on Kvaratskhelia.
Vitinha’s delivery was headed out by Partey but fell to Ruiz on the edge of the box, and he controlled before smashing in a left-foot shot as the ball bounced back up.
It was the ideal moment for the 29-year-old Spaniard to score his first Champions League goal.
Barcola failed to convert a good chance for the hosts to score again moments later, and Arsenal still had some hope going into the second half.
Only another stunning Donnarumma save with his fingertips prevented Saka from pulling one back on 64 minutes, before PSG were awarded a spot-kick.
German referee Felix Zwayer gave the penalty after being summoned to the pitchside monitor when a shot by Hakimi brushed the outstretched hand of Myles Lewis-Skelly.
Arteta was furious at the decision, yet Vitinha’s kick was turned away by Raya diving to his left.
Nevertheless, PSG made it 2-0 on the night when Dembele, on from the bench, teed up Hakimi to finish in style.
This being PSG, however, there was a wobble as Saka quickly pulled one back from close range after Arsenal substitute Leandro Trossard had got the better of Marquinhos on the wing.
Saka then somehow blazed over with an open goal gaping from Riccardo Calafiori’s cross, ensuring that there would be no miracle Arsenal comeback and it would be PSG’s night.


Al-Ittihad complete comeback to beat Al-Nassr 3-2

Al-Ittihad complete comeback to beat Al-Nassr 3-2
Updated 07 May 2025
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Al-Ittihad complete comeback to beat Al-Nassr 3-2

Al-Ittihad complete comeback to beat Al-Nassr 3-2
  • Algeria international Houssem Aouar, scored the winner in added time from close range following a cross by Moussa Diaby

Houssem Aouar scored a last-minute goal to help Al-Ittihad complete a comeback and secure a 3-2 win over Al-Nassr on Wednesday, taking them a step closer to clinching the Saudi Pro League title.
Sadio Mane opened the scoring for the home side after three minutes with a low shot.
The Senegal international then assisted Ayman Yahya to make it 2-0 for Al-Nassr in the 37th minute. The goal stood following a VAR review, even though the ball had touched Mane’s hand in the build-up.
Al-Ittihad were the better side after the interval and Karim Benzema reduced the deficit with a header in the 49th minute.
Laurent Blanc’s side equalized after a counter-attack, finished off by N’Golo Kante who slotted the ball into Al-Nassr’s net.
Algeria international Houssem Aouar, scored the winner in added time from close range following a cross by Moussa Diaby.
Al-Ittihad, who can clinch the domestic double after reaching the King Cup final, extended their lead to 71 points, six ahead of Al-Hilal, with four games remaining.
For Cristiano Ronaldo’s Al-Nassr, now fourth with 60 points, the loss was a setback to their hopes of reaching the AFC Champions League elite next season, with only two teams qualifying from the league after Al-Ahli of Saudi won the continental title last Saturday.


Saudi project destroys 600 more Houthi landmines and other explosives in Yemen

Saudi project destroys 600 more Houthi landmines and other explosives in Yemen
Updated 07 May 2025
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Saudi project destroys 600 more Houthi landmines and other explosives in Yemen

Saudi project destroys 600 more Houthi landmines and other explosives in Yemen
  • The devices, cleared from various parts of the war-torn country in recent months, were safely detonated on Wednesday
  • Project Masam has removed nearly 500,000 mines across Yemen since its launch in 2018

RIYADH: Members of the Saudi Project for Landmine Clearance, also known as Project Masam, safely detonated 600 mines, unexploded ordnance and other explosive devices on Wednesday.

The project’s engineers had demined and removed the devices over the past few months from various parts of Yemen, including the town of Beihan and the districts of Usaylan and Ain in Shabwah governorate.

Hussein Al-Aqili, commander of the project’s survey team, said they carried out the destruction operation in the Thahba area of Ain district on Wednesday as part of their ongoing mission to clear mines and other remnants of war in Yemen, and save civilian lives.

The project has cleared nearly 500,000 mines from the country since its work there began in 2018.

Last week, Ousama Algosaibi, the managing director of Masam, warned that the Houthis continue to exploit periods of truce to plant more mines across Yemen.

“We are in a constant race with the Houthi militias; we clear mines from one side while they plant more on the other,” he said during an interview with Al-Ekhbariya TV.