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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."

4 of 332 comments (clear)

  1. 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.
  2. 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!
  3. Re:No!! by moderatorrater · · Score: 5, Funny

    Either way we're fucked.

  4. 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.