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Top US General Warns Against Rogue Killer Robots (thehill.com)
Long-time Slashdot reader Zorro quotes The Hill:
The second-highest-ranking general in the U.S. military last Tuesday warned lawmakers against equipping the armed forces with autonomous weapons systems... Gen. Paul Selva warned lawmakers that the military should keep "the ethical rules of war in place lest we unleash on humanity a set of robots that we don't know how to control. I don't think it's reasonable for us to put robots in charge of whether or not we take a human life," Selva told the committee.
There's already a Defense Department directive that requires humans in the decision-making process for lethal autonomous weapons systems. But it expires later this year...
There's already a Defense Department directive that requires humans in the decision-making process for lethal autonomous weapons systems. But it expires later this year...
If war was ethical, only leaders would fight.
Imagine someone hacking those robots and turning them against your citizens or all humans. Don't you want a way to stop them?
Don't forget all the recent hacks. Everything is hackable with enough determination and resources. And military robots sure are a very good target.
Our bigger problem at the moment are killer generals (US and elsewhere).
Imagine someone hacking those robots and turning them against your citizens or all humans. Don't you want a way to stop them?
Don't forget all the recent hacks. Everything is hackable with enough determination and resources. And military robots sure are a very good target.
Those are very real potential threats, but probably the most real threat is enemy nations having better military technology than us ("us" is relative). The mere existence of nuclear weapons is also an existential threat, but no where near as dangerous as only your enemies having nuclear weapons.
The military doesn't have the luxury of holding back because of the worry about all the negative consequences of new military technology. If the technology can exist, someone will develop it. The best defense I can think of is developing it yourself so at least you can understand the true dangers and potentially build countermeasures against them.
-- All that is necessary for the triumph of evil is that good men do nothing. -- Edmund Burke
"Killer robots" are going to be created. As it gets easier and easier to do with off-the-shelf and/or printed components it is inevitable. Once that happens what comes next will be a matter of cyber security and cyber warfare. The "winner" in any war that uses autonomous killing machines as combatants will be the side with the best electronic warfare systems.
Gen. Paul Selva probably understands that this is currently not his government, and recent administrations either have not gotten the memo or are playing their cards very close to their chest. I suspect he is much more worried about creating efficient killing machines that get co-opted and controlled by his adversaries than some AI going rogue and asserting their position atop Earth's food chain.
I am not interested in articles about life extension advancements.
I love the modern idea that works of fiction, specifically written to advance a particular point of view, are somehow indicative of how reality works. It's a movie, it's entertainment.
Shutting down free speech with violence isn't fighting fascism. It IS fascism!
when it comes to killing innocent people (for political gains and self-interest). American young men are willing as ever to enlist to "get some" and to become a "hero" in Afghanistan or wherever. And, as we've seen, they have little consideration for innocent lives.
Why would they suddenly think putting a gun in the hands of a robot would be a bad idea? A trick to make them seem considerate, I guess.
I love the modern idea that works of fiction, specifically written to advance a particular point of view, are somehow indicative of how reality works. It's a movie, it's entertainment.
Yeah, in reality the AI wouldn't be a rogue one but being a good little german and following the orders to the letter when it exterminates the starving rioting unemployed serfs.
autonomous robots will drastically increase the danger of a rogue general, they'll obey orders no matter what
Land mines can be thought of as fully autonomous robots. Perhaps the simplest case of a 'robot'.
Very simple predetermined command to follow: 'When your trigger is tripped, execute your explosion sequence.'
Most nations have banned the use of land mines because of their uncontrolled, autonomous behavior. Once they are set, they stay set and will activate whether tripped by friend or foe.
They will activate when tripped by the little child playing in the field years after the war is over.
The problem the General recognizes in fully autonomous killer robots is the same problem encountered when land mines are used. The robots are just a more complex example.