Interview #4

“What degree of human involvement should there be in the use of force?“

Paul Scharre on weapon autonomy and the human role in future warfighting

After multiple tours to Iran and Afghanistan as an Army Ranger, Paul Scharre played a key role in establishing policies on emerging weapons technologies at the US Department of Defense. In particular, he led the working group that drafted Directive 3000.09, the Pentagon’s 2012 policy on autonomy in weapon ­systems. With “Army of None”, Scharre also published a widely popular book on ­autonomy in weapons systems. The interview was conducted by Metis Head of Research Dr. Frank Sauer in March 2021 via Zoom. This transcript was slightly redacted.