When AI decides. Ethical challenges in life-and-death scenarios

Abstract

This paper aims to shed light on the often-overlooked ethical tensions between Artifi-cial Intelligence (AI) and human decision-making in life-and-death scenarios, where outcomes directly affect human life, survival, and well-being. Focusing on the issues of autonomy and control, I argue that while AI systems can exhibit computational autonomy, they lack the deliberative and moral capacities required for full ethical agency. Through case studies in military and healthcare contexts, I argue for the necessity of consistent human control in ethically sensitive decisions.