Artificial Intelligence in the Military Domain and Military Ethics:Key Challenges and Implications

This article explores the current and emerging applications of artificial intelligence (AI) across military domains and examines the critical ethical challenges these developments present. It aims to map and assess the key areas of military ethics that must adapt to an evolving military reality shaped by AI integration at all operational levels. The analysis focuses on two central pillars of military ethics—ethics of war (just war theory) and professional military ethos—and identifies significant tensions and dilemmas arising from AI's incorporation into military strategy, decision-making, and identity. The study argues that AI technologies are poised to fundamentally transform traditional military culture, identity, and professional norms, while also challenging core principles of just war theory. These shifts necessitate a re-evaluation of ethical frameworks to address accountability, human–machine interaction, and the erosion of conventional moral boundaries in armed conflict.