TrendDecision-making killer robots to be used by armies -- and terrorists
More and more militaries and law enforcement services rely on unmanned machines to perform more and more missions; currently, human beings are still in the decision loop — but this is changing, as the U.S. and Israel lead the march toward the employment of robots which will determine for themselves who,where, and when to kill; also: It is only a question of time before terrorist organizations begin to use robots to carry out their nefarious plans
We have written about the growing trend toward the use of robotics for military and homeland security missions. The use of smart machines saves lives and money, but it does raise important questions. In a keynote address yesterday to the Royal United Services Institute (RUSI), Professor Noel Sharkey, from the University´s Department of Computer Science, expressed his concerns that we are beginning to see the first steps toward an international robot arms race. He warned that it may not be long before robots become a standard terrorist weapon to replace the suicide bomber. Many nations are now involved in developing the technology for robot weapons, with the United States being the most significant player. According to the Unmanned Systems Roadmap 2007-2013 (published in December 2007), the United States proposed to spend an estimated $4 billion by 2010 on unmanned systems technology. The total spending is expected to rise above $24 billion. More than 4,000 robots are currently deployed on the ground in Iraq; by October 2006 unmanned aircraft had flown 400,000 flight hours. At present there is always a human being in the loop to decide on the use of lethal force. This, however, is set to change with the United States giving priority to autonomous weapons — robots which will decide for themselves on where, when, and who to kill (well, not quite for themselves: Their decisions will be determined by algorithms written by human beings). Others are now embarking on robot weapons programs in Europe and other allied countries such as Canada, South Korea, South Africa, Singapore, and Israel. China, Russia, and India are also embarking on the development of unmanned aerial combat vehicle. The U.S. Department of Defense report is unsure about the activity in China but admits that they have strong infrastructure capability for parallel developments in robot weapons.
Sharkey, known for his roles as chief judge on the TV series Robot Wars and as on-screen expert for the BBC’s TechnoGames, said: “The trouble is that we can’t really put the genie back in the bottle. Once the new weapons are out there, they will be fairly easy to copy. How long is it going to be before the terrorists get in on the act? With the current prices of robot construction falling dramatically and the availability of ready-made components for the amateur market, it wouldn’t require a lot of skill to make autonomous robot weapons.” Sharkey is reluctant to explain how such robots could be made but he points out that a small GPS-guided drone with autopilot could be made for around £250. The robotics expert is also concerned with a number of ethical issues that arise from the use of autonomous weapons. He added: “Current robots are dumb machines with very limited sensing capability. What this means is that it is not possible to guarantee discrimination between combatants and innocents or a proportional use of force as required by the current Laws of War. It seems clear that there is an urgent need for the international community to assess the risks of these new weapons now rather than after they have crept their way into common use.”
