Undergraduate Spotlight: Catherine Sarkis

Lethal autonomous weapons — characterized by their ability to select and engage targets without further human intervention once activated — are thought to have been first deployed in Libya in 2020. And with the increasing sophistication of AI, their use is expected to expand. Catherine Sarkis’s Ethics in Society Honors thesis, “Killer Robots on the Battlefield: A Normative and Empirical Analysis of the Deployment of Lethal Autonomous Weapons in Modern Warfare,” explores the use of these weapons by applying just war theory and examining public opinion about them. Sarkis graduates with bachelor’s degrees in economics and philosophy and a minor in data science. Before graduating, we asked Sarkis to tell us about her experience in our Honors Program.

Why did you choose to participate in the Honors Program in Ethics in Society? 

I chose to participate in the Honors Program in Ethics in Society for two main reasons. First, I wanted to write an Honors thesis to gain in-depth knowledge of a specific area. Second, I wanted to find a way to combine my interest in technology and international affairs with my passion for moral philosophy.

What was the most rewarding aspect of your experience in the Honors Program? 

Designing and deploying a survey experiment to over 900 participants definitely was a challenge, from getting a grant and IRB approval to using Amazon Mechanical Turk. However, it was extremely rewarding to discover the findings of my survey and see how interesting they were in relation to my thesis!

In a few sentences, describe your honors thesis research. 

In my thesis, I researched the deployment of lethal autonomous weapons in modern warfare. I analyzed this normatively, by drawing on just war theory principles; and empirically, by examining the findings of the survey experiment I designed on U.S. public opinion about autonomous weapons.

What opportunities would you like to pursue within the next five years? 

I would love to continue exploring my new interest in the intersection of technology, philosophy, and international affairs, hopefully, both in academic and professional settings!

Carly Chillmon is the Communications Director at the McCoy Family Center for Ethics in Society. Donna Hunter is a freelance writer, editor, and tutor living in San Francisco. She has a Ph.D. in English from UC Berkeley and was an Advanced Lecturer in Stanford’s Program in Writing and Rhetoric.