Description
Technological development has always been a leading cause of military change, affecting not only how warfare is conducted, but also the sociology of military organizations. This paper examines the effect of the adoption of AI-enabled weapon systems by the United States Armed Forces on the professional ethos of military personnel. From missile detection software, to human-machine teams and “killer robots”, different levels of autonomy and of personnel’s proximity to the weapon systems can impact military professionals’ ethos and understanding of their duties. The military personnel’s reaction to the adoption of these technologies can have broader implications on a number of areas, such as recruitment processes, organizational change, and the possible success or failure of the adoption of new technologies by military institutions. Building on practice theory and the concept of professionalism, the paper examines the boundaries that delimitate military professionals from civilians, how the professional ethos is constructed and reified in military institutions through practices, and the ways USAF personnel understand their own profession and its duties. It argues that the threat felt by military professionals is related to two key variables: the level of technical autonomy used, and the proximity of a military professional to the weapon or platform.
