Robotics Prof Fears Rise of Military Robots

An anonymous reader writes "Interesting video interview on silicon.com with Sheffield University's Noel Sharkey, professor of AI & robotics. The white-haired prof talks state-of-the-robot-nation — discussing the most impressive robots currently clanking about on two-legs (hello Asimo) and who's doing the most interesting things in UK robotics research (something involving crickets apparently). He also voices concerns about military use of robots — suggesting it won't be long before armies are sending out fully autonomous killing machines."

Comments

Re:no need to worry

[societyofrobots]

Hitler wouldn't have recalled his troops if we sent him a box of cookies and flowers. Would you make love, not war, with Obama, knowing his life goal is the destruction of democracy?

Assuming that a war is unavoidable, would you prefer laser guided bombs, or old-fasioned carpet bombing?

That was the point of my post . . .

Re:And

[ultranova]

In the early morning of December 7, 2041, one million mechanized soldiers arise from the receding tide and onto the shores of China. The robots march relentlessly westward, killing all Chinese soldiers in their path. The final destination is Tibet.

What Chinese soldiers? China is a superpower now, still rising, and an offshoring target of more and more manufacturing; do you think that they wouldn't have their own Terminator army to sent to the fray?

And why would anyone send a million-machine army to Tibet?

Fortunately, the Chinese have had state sponsored hackers for decades now. It was a simple matter for these hardened pros to return the bots to their creators, with orders to kill.

Yes, because whoever sent the bots didn't test them beforehand with their own hackers. Right.

Stop treating Independence Day as a documentary, will you?