Algorethics And Neuro-Symbolic Military Ai: Ontologies, "Hellscapes," Just War, And Silicon Valley

The work

AuthorsJohn E. Carter
Editors
Typemisc
Year2026
Also known asanon2026algorethics
Citekeycarter2026algorethics

Where it appeared

Published inIntercultural Human Rights Law Review
PublisherElsevier BV
Volume21
Issue2

Identifiers

DOI10.2139/ssrn.6434818

Access

Landing pagehttps://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.6434818

From unpaywall.

Abstract

Algorethics, as described in the Rome Call for AI Ethics (2020) and related documents, is an overarching field that includes algorithmic accountability, systemic AI governance, value-sensitive design (VSD), responsible AI (RAI), trustworthy AI, explainable AI (XAI), and similar terms, but which puts these subfields in conversation with broader, more historical ethical and moral traditions. This essay evaluates the ways in which ontology-supported neuro-symbolic artificial intelligence (NeSy) addresses algorethics concerns about explainability and transparency in military applications of AI, but does not solve the problem of accountability, which in the case of AI may be greater than similar concerns regarding other private defense contractors. Existing conflicts in Ukraine and Sudan and a potential “hellscape” strategy in the Taiwan Strait are discussed, as are recent U.S. military actions in Venezuela and Iran, and the crossover effects among them based on common suppliers of AI-supported drones; in Sudan and parts of Ukraine, the label “hellscape” is already apt. A parallel is drawn between John Ford, SJ’s condemnation of obliteration bombing in World War II and the drone-swarmed “hellscapes” that current military technology makes possible. The dispute between Anthropic and the U.S. Defense Department over usage restrictions is discussed, as is the role of Palantir and its stated commitment to norms of just war. In addition to Ford, the work of Francisco de Vitoria and Alasdair MacIntyre is also brought to bear on the problem.

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How it got here

How it got hereagent via unpaywall
Added2026-10-23 11:14 UTC
Approved bya person 2026-10-23 11:24 UTC

Cite it as

@misc{carter2026algorethics,
  title        = {Algorethics And Neuro-Symbolic Military Ai: Ontologies, "Hellscapes," Just War, And Silicon Valley},
  author       = {John E. Carter},
  year         = {2026},
  journal      = {Intercultural Human Rights Law Review},
  publisher    = {Elsevier BV},
  volume       = {21},
  number       = {2},
  doi          = {10.2139/ssrn.6434818},
}

This record lives at https://refs.drheap.org/carter2026algorethics/ and will keep doing so. It used to be called anon2026algorethics, and those addresses still resolve to this one.