Description
Over the past decade, research on the implications of artificial intelligence (AI) for the military has expanded tremendously. Early discussions focused primarily on autonomous weapon systems (AWS), but the debate has since broadened to encompass human‑AI interaction across a range of military practices. Although much attention has been devoted to ensuring human control over AI, the notion of agency remains under‑theorised in this context. In particular, the prevalent model of “human‑machine teaming” calls for a reconceptualisation of agency that moves beyond the simplistic dichotomy of human versus machine agency.
This paper investigates how agency can be understood as an analytical concept within military AI. It argues that agency should be viewed as a distributed phenomenon, jointly constituted by humans and AI systems. By reframing agency in this way, the study contributes to ongoing ethical, legal, and political debates surrounding the deployment of AI in the military domain.
