Sponsored by: Gerritt Rosenthal, Washington County Approved: 12/02/2018
A RESOLUTION OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF OREGON
WHEREAS, self-pilotable drones have now been developed and are commercially available in sizes as small as a medium sized bird, and
WHEREAS, these self-piloting drones can be weaponized with assassination devices, and
WHEREAS, modern Artificial Intelligence technology now allows such drones to carry out facial recognition and algorithmic targeting, and
WHEREAS, such drones are relatively inexpensive and can be deployed in large numbers and are largely undetectable and unstoppable, and
WHEREAS, the use of such weapons in all cases, except in conduct of declared war or in imminent threat of physical harm in self-defense, violates the basic principles of due process.
WHEREAS, Article 11 – Preamble of the 2018 DPO Platform states: “We Welcome innovation in all scientific arenas but are aware that the Precautionary Principle, a social responsibility to protect the public from exposure to harm whenever science has identified a plausible risk, must be applied in order to avoid problems caused by the misapplication of new technological capacities”, and
WHEREAS, Article 11 Plank 11 of the 2018 DPO Platform asserts: “We support the creation of a national oversight panel charged with the review of artificial intelligence and robotics technologies to ensure long term safety and public benefit.”
NOW, THEREFORE, THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY OF OREGON RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1: The use of drones, including autonomous weaponized drones to kill or injure another human, except as an act of a declared war, or by military personnel acting under direct legal orders, is a violation of the basic Constitutional guarantee of due process and should be held to be illegal and a crime against humanity.
Section 2: We believe the penalties for the use of drones that results in death from willful action on the part of the deployer shall be classified as terrorism and be punishable at the highest level allowed in the state in which it occurs or by the federal government, short of the death penalty.
Section 3: We call on congress to codify the firm limitation of the use of self-piloting, weaponized drones.
