Teaching a computer-driven machine — even an intelligent one — how to distinguish between civilians and combatants, or how to gauge a proportional response as mandated by the Geneva Conventions, is simply beyond the reach of artificial intelligence today.

And that’s why those decisions aren’t in robot hands yet. Just as giving robots remote-control weapons didn’t happen until the technology was ready. There’s a reason for gradual progress, Professor Sharkey. Stop groveling for truly dangerous things like “international agreements”.