Tim McFarland visits Naval War College and National Defense University

Tim McFarland visited two military educational institutions in the United States to conduct fieldwork for his PhD research. At the Naval War College in Newport, Rhode Island, he gave two presentations on ‘How Should Lawyers Think About Weapon Autonomy?’, discussing the ways in which weapon systems with a capacity for autonomous operation raise novel questions under the law of armed conflict. He also interviewed a range of experts including naval officers, engineers and academics on technical, legal and operational matters relating to increasingly autonomous weapon systems.

At the National Defense University in Washington, DC, he was hosted by the College of International Security Affairs. During his time at NDU he met with representatives of armed forces and research organisations, as well as academic staff at the University, who provided valuable insights into the significance of robotics and artificial intelligence for military operations.

PREMT is very grateful to both institutions for their support and hospitality.