by Sergey Sayapin
Abstract: As artificial intelligence (AI) increasingly mediates battlefield decision-making, international humanitarian law (IHL) faces a structural challenge – preserving its human-centred foundations in an algorithmic operational environment. This article introduces dignitary design as a jurisprudential framework for embedding respect for human dignity within the architecture, governance, and deployment of military AI systems. Grounded in the principle of humanity and the Martens Clause, dignitary design reconceptualises dignity as both a legal standard and a design requirement. The article argues that the legitimacy of future armed conflict regulation depends on integrating humanitarian values directly into technological systems, rather than relying solely on post hoc accountability.
Keywords: accountability – artificial intelligence (AI) – dignitary design – human dignity – international humanitarian law (IHL) – Martens Clause – military AI systems
