IEEE - Aerospace and Electronic Systems - July 2021 - 108

On Digital Ethics for Artificial Intelligence and Information Fusion in the Defense Domain
A concrete example is pre-engagement assessment
of " collateral damage " [49]8
and " risk estimate distance, "
i.e., an assessment of the danger to friendly
forces, that are made possible by AI in defense in a way
that has never been achieved before. This is important
for both effective and responsible weapon control, be it
through precision targeting or scalable detonation effect
of modern warheads. In order to avoid confusion on the
term " precision targeting, " it should be recalled that it is
defined as " directed at a specific target. " From the aviator's
perspective, for example, " the term 'precision'
does not imply, as one might assume, accuracy. Instead,
the word precision exclusively pertains to a discriminate
targetingprocess.Byusing awordthathas such specific
meaning in the mind of most civilians, it is easy to see
how a gap in understanding and expectations has
been fostered " [19, pp. 11-12]. " Precision " is not
" perfection. "
In order to realize the potential ofAI for responsible
action in critical situations, decision makers must be
made aware in an intuitively comprehensible manner of
remaining inaccuracies, ambiguities, and aspects of the
situation that have not yet been clarified. Situational
awareness does not consist of algorithmically generated
symbols on a screen, but rather arises in the minds of
decision makers. It is imperative that situational awareness
includes information on the " unknowns. " Without
reliable knowledge about the limits of the available
knowledge, no one can act responsibly. In addition to
engineering issues, ergonomics and cognitive sciences
apparently play an important role in the digital transformationofthe
armedforces.
According to these considerations, ergonomic representation
of the situational awareness pictures obtained
from a wide range of imperfect data sources and the limits
of their informative value is a key requirement. Apparently,
the research questions arising from this demand
have an ethical dimension: The situational awareness picture,
despite all its abstraction, must convey to the decision
maker psychologically realized awareness of the
reality of the situation shown, i.e., its truth, help him to
take responsibility, " and allow him to experience the consequences
ofactions and omissions " [22, p. 234]. Decision
making must not remain on a purely virtual level. Such
considerations are entirely in line with political declarations
of the Federal Government of Germany and all planning
documents of the Bundeswehr.
A more recent study emphasizes the rationality of ethical
judgment, for which algorithmic support is principally
8Collateral damage: " Unintentional or incidental injury or damage to
persons or objects that would not be lawful military targets in the
circumstances ruling at the time. Such damage is not unlawful so
long as it is not excessive in light of the overall military advantage
anticipated from the attack. "
108
possible. According to it, the concrete case in a given situation
is at the center of ethical judgment. The assessment,
which abstract and concrete, normative and descriptive,
cognitive and emotional aspects are to be placed in relation
to one another, is to be done in a " culture of reasoned
consideration " [50]. A digital assistant for " moral decision
support " would have to implement and reproduce such
structures of thought. From a system ergonomic point of
view, it should also be considered how technical design
principles could be derived from classical virtues, which
appear under different names in most cultures, and be
implemented in such assistance systems in order to make
them user-compliant in the sense of responsible judgment.
The so-called four " cardinal virtues " of Western ethics
[51] are examples with a potential ofwider consent.
Only if based on a clearly defined and realistic Image
of Man, his nature and his ends, that is compatible
with the notion of responsible use of technology, digital
assistance can support morally acceptable decisions.
Awareness raising of such an Image of Man and Innere
F€uhrung as a guiding leadership and personality developing
principle toward this direction is especially a task of
military pastoral care. Since the Hippocratic Oath is
regarded as a fundamental formulation of a professional
ethic that is committed to responsibility, it would be worth
considering whether the swearing-in ceremony, which
was considered indispensable when the Bundeswehr was
founded, should be viewed with a fresh eye. For Wolf von
Baudissin, the architect of the Innere F€uhrung, it is " one
of the essential tasks of the military clergy to point out the
sanctity of the oath, as well as the vow, to show the recruit
the seriousness of the assumption of his official duties on
his own conscience, but at the same time also the limits
set by God for everyone and also for this obligation. "
[22, p. 181]
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR STRATEGICAL PLANNING
The Digital Defense Council to the German Minister of
Defence states that " the future of AI in the armed forces
[...] does not lie in the decision between man and AI, but
in an effective and scalable combination of man and AI to
ensure the best possible performance of tasks " [24, p. 27].
This includes the ethical dimension of digital technologies:
" Digitization affects more than the aspect of technical
innovation. It influences the entire way of thinking and
acting of the Bundeswehr at all levels in the sense of a
'digital self-image' of the Bundeswehr. " [52]
Since we feel encouraged to assume that there might
be a broader consent within the international defense science
and IF community with these considerations, we are
closing with some recommendations.
1. Digital ethics and a corresponding ethos and morality
are to be part of the skills that need to be built up
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JULY 2021

IEEE - Aerospace and Electronic Systems - July 2021

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