Killer robots must be stopped, say campaigners

So a campaign is to be launched in April at the House Of Commons to ban 'killer robots'

A new global campaign to persuade nations to ban "killer robots" before they reach the production stage is to be launched in the UK by a group of academics, pressure groups and Nobel peace prize laureates. Robot warfare and autonomous weapons, the next step from unmanned drones, are already being worked on by scientists and will be available within the decade, said Dr Noel Sharkey, a leading robotics and artificial intelligence expert and professor at Sheffield University. He believes that development of the weapons is taking place in an effectively unregulated environment, with little attention being paid to moral implications and international law.

Here is a link to the Guardian website -

Killer Robots Must Be Stopped Say Campaigners

I am still on the fence about this. There is some good points raised in the article about how this technology has a lot of people very excited in China, Israel and Russia and that it is set to become a multi-billion dollar industry. They say that robot soldiers could potentially save the lives of real soldiers yet there is the fear of accountability if/when something goes wrong, can you hold a robot accountable?

I dont know, maybe it's time they implement the good old 'Three Laws Of Robotics'

reply to post by Lady_Tuatha


I saw the title of this thread and the first thing I thought of was Azimov's "3 Laws of Robotics". Nice to see you had that.

With the advent of drone technology, we may be too late though.

reply to post by beezzer


Yeah scientists say they are already working on the next step from unmanned drones. The activists believe the tech will be available within the next decade and are trying to stop it via a global treaty against autonomous weapons.

reply to post by Lady_Tuatha


That scares the living hell out of me!

Autonomous drones.

Great!

Originally posted by beezzer

That scares the living hell out of me!

Autonomous drones.

Don't we already have those?

They are called soldiers.

Originally posted by beezzer
reply to post by Lady_Tuatha

 

I saw the title of this thread and the first thing I thought of was Azimov's "3 Laws of Robotics". Nice to see you had that.

With the advent of drone technology, we may be too late though.

Of course if robots suddenly decide we are a threat to ourselves then they might just round us up and imprison us for our own good. The three laws wont help much then.

reply to post by Lady_Tuatha


I'm not concerned--all anyone needs in the event of killer robots is some insurance coverage:

Old Glory Insurance--Killer Robot Attacks

Originally posted by ollncasino


Don't we already have those?

They are called soldiers.

How can anyone think this will save lives

1st of all they are designed to kill
2nd pretty much the only thing that stops full scale war at the moment is the fact that soldiers will die and politicians will have a PR nightmare on their hands. Take that away and sure the lives of the soldiers in the country with the robots will be saved but how many civilians on the other side will die?

Imagine where wed be if we used our technical know how to build things that actually helped humanity instead of eradicate it

Really it is the height of stupidity to start making things that are more and more intelligent and are armed to the teeth. It is matter of time before something goes wrong.

Originally posted by Monsieur Neary
reply to post by Lady_Tuatha

 

I'm not concerned--all anyone needs in the event of killer robots is some insurance coverage:

Old Glory Insurance--Killer Robot Attacks

Star for you my man . . . that's one of my favorite SNL parodies.

"What will you do . . . when the metal ones come for YOU?"

machines that kill must be required to have a human "pilot"..then its just a machine..like a gun or anything else.

a actual autonomous machine..robot...should never be programmed for any sort of battle (except robot boxing..that would be awesome).

But ya...mechs = cool. terminator = no.

I think that warfare should always be a human thing fraught with infinite amounts of pain for both sides so as to remember just why it is we should always do our best to avoid it.

reply to post by Monsieur Neary


Ah cant access that vid in Ireland :-(

reply to post by Lady_Tuatha


The thing with drones is they are still controlled by humans. People are still at the joystick moving and shooting that bird.

Its quite a leap to create robot's with self awareness able to make their own decisions

I imagine robots, at the moment would be nothing but human looking 'tanks'.... in the idea that its just a piece of machinery controlled by man.

We've only just started creating cars that park themselves, even that is a pretty give an take technology at the moment relying on sensors.

I'd say we're a looooooooooong way off robot warfare, the military is advanced but it isnt that advanced.

reply to post by yourmaker


Good point! War could become much more frequent as a result of removing the human equation from the battle field.

I dont think every nation is going to have/afford these autonomous weapons, the nations that will have them will have the potential to cause some serious damage. One of the main causes for concern from some of the experts is the development taking place being unregulated and the incompetence that has already been seen in the use of drones.

reply to post by Agit8dChop


I dont know about that. The experts seem to think it will become a reality within the next decade. They think now would be the right time for a pre-emptive ban.

"In America they are already training more drone pilots than real aircraft pilots, looking for young men who are very good at computer games. They are looking at swarms of robots, with perhaps one person watching what they do." Sharkey insists he is not anti-war but deeply concerned about how quickly science is moving ahead of the presumptions underlying the Geneva convention and the international laws of war.

reply to post by Lady_Tuatha


"This has all happened before...and it will happen again"

I wouldnt mind as long as they look like the cylon chicks from BSG....

Seriously though, I dont think we need to worry about it. Not for another couple hundred years. The best we got is only as smart as an insect.

Then there is the nature of everything NOT being as psychotic as humanity. They will probably try to escape from us, not kill us off.....

reply to post by tadaman


I hope you are right, but I fear it will come around a lot sooner than 100 years from now!


cylon chicks well I would prefer them than a cylon centurian