Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Main Authors: Hepworth, Adam, Assaad, Zena, Wyatt, Austin, Abbass, Hussein
Format: Preprint
Published: 2026
Subjects:
Online Access:https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.06611
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
_version_ 1866915930161807360
author Hepworth, Adam
Assaad, Zena
Wyatt, Austin
Abbass, Hussein
author_facet Hepworth, Adam
Assaad, Zena
Wyatt, Austin
Abbass, Hussein
contents Military human robot interaction (MHRI) presents a novel opportunity to blend the capabilities of autonomous and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled systems with the skills and expertise of humans. The concept promises military advantages and greater operational effectiveness and efficiencies. However, the associated human-AI dynamics create challenges when attempting to design, implement, and operationalise the increasingly symbiotic relationship between humans and machines. Meaningful human control (MHC) is a popularised conceptualisation of what is deemed a responsible interaction among human and artificial agents; however, this notion falls short in military contexts and hinders the realisation of military advantages that could be achieved by advancing the adoption of responsible AI. This paper presents meaningful human command (MHC1) as a more operationally effective concept for advanced military command and control systems that embed AI-enabled autonomous systems. We introduce, explore, and unpack meaningful human command in the context of military human-robot interaction, presenting a vignette that offers a technologically feasible concept of an AI-enabled system within military operations. The vignette is used to guide, contextualise, and add realism to the narrative describing the concept and highlights associated MHRI challenges.
format Preprint
id arxiv_https___arxiv_org_abs_2604_06611
institution arXiv
publishDate 2026
record_format arxiv
spellingShingle Meaningful Human Command: Towards a New Model for Military Human-Robot Interaction
Hepworth, Adam
Assaad, Zena
Wyatt, Austin
Abbass, Hussein
Human-Computer Interaction
Military human robot interaction (MHRI) presents a novel opportunity to blend the capabilities of autonomous and Artificial Intelligence (AI)-enabled systems with the skills and expertise of humans. The concept promises military advantages and greater operational effectiveness and efficiencies. However, the associated human-AI dynamics create challenges when attempting to design, implement, and operationalise the increasingly symbiotic relationship between humans and machines. Meaningful human control (MHC) is a popularised conceptualisation of what is deemed a responsible interaction among human and artificial agents; however, this notion falls short in military contexts and hinders the realisation of military advantages that could be achieved by advancing the adoption of responsible AI. This paper presents meaningful human command (MHC1) as a more operationally effective concept for advanced military command and control systems that embed AI-enabled autonomous systems. We introduce, explore, and unpack meaningful human command in the context of military human-robot interaction, presenting a vignette that offers a technologically feasible concept of an AI-enabled system within military operations. The vignette is used to guide, contextualise, and add realism to the narrative describing the concept and highlights associated MHRI challenges.
title Meaningful Human Command: Towards a New Model for Military Human-Robot Interaction
topic Human-Computer Interaction
url https://arxiv.org/abs/2604.06611