McNeal on Drones that Can Capture Rather than Kill
In response to my inquiry about drones that could capture rather than kill ("Robot Rendition?"), Greg McNeal writes in with these very illuminating comments on the technological prospects.
It probably goes without saying, but the reason I raised this issue to begin with is to emphasize the technological contingency of the status quo, in which there are many contexts in which it is feasible to kill but not
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In response to my inquiry about drones that could capture rather than kill ("Robot Rendition?"), Greg McNeal writes in with these very illuminating comments on the technological prospects.
It probably goes without saying, but the reason I raised this issue to begin with is to emphasize the technological contingency of the status quo, in which there are many contexts in which it is feasible to kill but not to capture (given the risk to the lives of those who would have to attempt the capture). Technological change eventually will reduce that gap, with interesting policy and legal implications.
Robert (Bobby) Chesney is the Dean of the University of Texas School of Law, where he also holds the James A. Baker III Chair in the Rule of Law and World Affairs at UT. He is known internationally for his scholarship relating both to cybersecurity and national security. He is a co-founder of Lawfare, the nation’s leading online source for analysis of national security legal issues, and he co-hosts the popular show The National Security Law Podcast.
