Slashdot Mirror

← Back to Stories (view on slashdot.org)

Killer Military Robot Arms Race Underway?

Posted by ScuttleMonkey on from the skynet-unavailable-for-comment dept.

coondoggie writes to tell us NetworkWorld is reporting that one researcher seems to think that a military robot arms race may be imminent between both governments and terrorists. "We are beginning to see the first steps towards an international robot arms race and it may not be long before robots become a standard terrorist weapon to replace the suicide bomber, according to professor Noel Sharkey, from the Royal United Services Institute Department of Computer Science. [...] Currently there is always a human in the loop to decide on the use of lethal force. However, this is set to change with the US giving priority to autonomous weapons - robots that will decide on where, when and who to kill, according to the professor."

20 of 332 comments (clear)

  1. obligated by liquidmpls · · Score: 4, Funny

    I for one welcome our new killer robot overlords yeah sorry, i just needed to get it out of the way to make room for the real discussion about skynet

  2. Meanwhile, in Baghdad by s20451 · · Score: 5, Funny

    "Is that an aibo? Man, I haven't seen one of those since ..." BLAM!

    --
    Toronto-area transit rider? Rate your ride.
    1. Re:Meanwhile, in Baghdad by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1, Funny

      Don't try to educate the slaves. They're happy with their Federal Reserve serfdom.

      This message brought to you by the Department of Homeland Security.

      The Department of Homeland Security has been brought to you by the Department of Orwellian Government Agency Naming.

  3. No!! by olclops · · Score: 2, Funny

    Dammit! This robot arms race is only going to distract robot researchers from the vastly more important goal: the robot sex race.

    1. Re:No!! by moderatorrater · · Score: 5, Funny

      Either way we're fucked.

  4. Robot Ninjas by TooMad · · Score: 1, Funny

    Can we build robot Ninjas and robot Pirates and settle this once and for all with a fight to death?

  5. A modest proposal by Ilan+Volow · · Score: 4, Funny

    If robotic innocent civilians can be manufactured to replace the humans blown up by military bots and suicide bomber bots, then no one has to die.

    --
    Ergonomica Auctorita Illico!
    1. Re:A modest proposal by orclevegam · · Score: 3, Funny

      But won't someone please think of the robot children?

      --
      Curiosity was framed, Ignorance killed the cat.
  6. The future by Eudial · · Score: 5, Funny

    Yes, I look into my crystal sphere, and in it I see the future comments of this thread:

    * Yes, but do they have frickin' laser beams attached to their head?
    * In soviet Russia, Robots arm YOU!
    * I, for one, welcome our new gun-toting robot overlords (points for being uncomfortably close to the truth)
    * References to the matrix or terminator series and/or I robot.

    --
    GAAH! MY PRINTER IS ON FIRE!!! PUT IT OUT! PUT IT OUT!
  7. 70 Virgins for a robot? by GCH · · Score: 0, Funny

    So, do the robot suicide bombers get 70 virgins, too?

  8. Not to worry. by CSMatt · · Score: 4, Funny

    Killbots have a preset kill limit. Send wave after wave of your men at them until they shut down.

  9. Re:I usually frown upon this... by russ1337 · · Score: 4, Funny

    It was the last part that freaked me out: "robots that will decide on where, when and who to kill, according to the professor "

    I sure hope this professor is a nice person.

  10. Better buy them now by Hoi+Polloi · · Score: 3, Funny

    Get your RC controllers and servos now before the government bans them.

    --
    It is by the juice of the coffee bean that thoughts acquire speed, the teeth acquire stains. The stains become a warning
  11. Re:Cats and newspapers by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 5, Funny

    Until someone can build an automatic vacuum cleaner that does not try to eat my cat, or an automated lawnmower that does not trim the newspaper, I'm not going to worry. I'm not quite sure I understand your reasoning. You seem to be making the following points:
    1) Current autonomous robots damage their surroundings and are hard to control.
    2) The military (and possibly terrorists) want to put really big guns on autonomous robots.
    3) Therefore you are NOT going to worry.

    Either I misinterpreted you, or you have an interesting view of what to worry about.
  12. Re:And yet, for all the warnings by Foobar+of+Borg · · Score: 4, Funny

    Unless they are really clever and make them out of sticks and rubber bands.
    In other news, an American robot army base was struck by the hitherto unknown militant Islamic faction known as al-MacGyver.
    --
    Similar to the upcoming US election results
  13. No they won't run on Linux by spun · · Score: 1, Funny

    yeah, the important question is will they run on Linux They will run on their arms. That's why they call it an arms race, duh!
    --
    - None can love freedom heartily, but good men; the rest love not freedom, but license. -- John Milton
    1. Re:No they won't run on Linux by rlwhite · · Score: 3, Funny

      No, it's an ARMs race because everyone knows RISC is better.

  14. Killer Robot Arms? by CaptCrunk · · Score: 4, Funny

    What's next? Killer robot legs? What happens when they get the whole killer robot put together? I answer: Mecha-Streisand.

    --
    âoeItâ(TM)s a funny thing about life; if you refuse to accept anything but the best, you very often get it."
  15. Well, I wouldn't worry by poity · · Score: 2, Funny

    unless they're also researching legs.

    --
    your thin skin doesn't make me a troll
  16. Re:I usually frown upon this... by lendude · · Score: 2, Funny
    Absolutely no reflection intended on the parent but...Modded Informative!?????

    Who the fuck wants to be informed about that? The mind boggles...

    --
    "Get off the cross - we need the wood" - Tori Amos