# Human-in-the-Loop Lethal Decision **Entity class:** Military-governance concept **Domain:** Defense / Autonomous weapons **Maturity:** Developed ## Definition A human-in-the-loop lethal decision requires a human operator to authorize the use of lethal force within an autonomous or AI-assisted system. ## Mechanism and significance The phrase is meaningful only when the human has adequate information, time, authority, and a real ability to reject the machine's recommendation. ## Relationships - **Research dossier:** [[research/ASI and RSI Timeline Research Moonshots|ASI and RSI Timeline Research Moonshots]] - **Ontology route:** [[ASI and RSI Timeline Ontology#Autonomous Warfare and Strategic Systems|Autonomous Warfare and Strategic Systems]] - **Primary fields:** [[Autonomous Weapons]] · [[AI Superpower]] · [[Machine Succession]] - **Adjacent concepts:** [[Autonomous Warfare]] · [[Software-Defined Warfare]] · [[Exponential Drone Warfare]] · [[Cislunar Warfare]] ## Sources and provenance - [[research/ASI and RSI Timeline Research Moonshots|ASI and RSI Timeline Research Moonshots]] — immediate source for this node's role in the broadcast research map. ## Evidence boundary The research dossier establishes why this entity or concept belongs in the Moonshots ontology. Time-sensitive organizational, product, policy, and performance claims should be checked against the linked primary source or a current authoritative source before reuse as settled fact. ## Simple Reminders, Quotations, and Thoughts > The more AI moves from affecting human lives to ending human lives, the more human oversight it should have. Superintelligence should expand human knowledge, not control lethal decisions without people. > **— Adapted from Richard Socher**, *MOONSHOTS Live, October 2026* [[reminders/Deterrence/AI Must Not End Human Lives Without Human Oversight by Richard Socher|AI Must Not End Human Lives Without Human Oversight by Richard Socher]]