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Ethics in The Age of Autonomous Weapons

Event poster for 'Code, Command, and Consequences: Ethics in the Age of Autonomous Weapons,' recorded on November 18, 2025, at Santa Clara University. Features photos of moderator Brian Green, and panelists: LTC David von Bargen Tim Henderson, and Julie Carpenter, Ph.D.

Event poster for 'Code, Command, and Consequences: Ethics in the Age of Autonomous Weapons,' recorded on November 18, 2025, at Santa Clara University. Features photos of moderator Brian Green, and panelists: LTC David von Bargen Tim Henderson, and Julie Carpenter, Ph.D.

Recording of “Code, Command, and Consequences”—a recent panel discussion

Irina Raicu

Last November, the Center hosted a panel discussion on the ethics of autonomous weapons, focusing on questions of accountability when machines make life-or-death decisions—and on the type and level of human oversight implicated. Moderated by Brian Green, the director of the Technology Ethics program, the panel explained and explored novel risks, the applicable rules, and what responsible deployment might require in this context.

The participating panelists were Julie Carpenter, Ph.D., social scientist and research consultant; Tim Henderson, former officer, United States Navy; and LTC David Von Bargen, professor of military science in Santa Clara University's College of Arts and Sciences.

View a recording of the conversation (a transcript is also available).

Jan 26, 2026
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