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China's Brightest Children Are Being Recruited To Develop AI 'Killer Bots' (scmp.com)

Posted by msmash on from the how-about-that dept.

A group of some of China's smartest students have been recruited straight from high school to begin training as the world's youngest AI weapons scientists. Local media reports: The 27 boys and four girls, all aged 18 and under, were selected for the four-year "experimental programme for intelligent weapons systems" at the Beijing Institute of Technology (BIT) from more than 5,000 candidates, the school said on its website. The BIT is one of the country's top weapons research institutes, and the launch of the new programme is evidence of the weight it places on the development of AI technology for military use. China is in competition with the United States and other nations in the race to develop deadly AI applications -- from nuclear submarines with self-learning chips to microscopic robots that can crawl into human blood vessels.

73 comments

  1. Darling in the Franxx by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Confirmed!

  2. Dupe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Hmm can see this on the front page already :)

    1. Re: Dupe? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Slashdot needs to develop dupe killer bots.

    2. Re:Dupe? by Oswald+McWeany · · Score: 1

      Hmm can see this on the front page already :)

      Slashdot has been hiring all the most intellectual children to help staff their editorial roles and make sure duplicates don't get posted to the front page... so you must be wrong.

      --
      "That's the way to do it" - Punch
  3. We know where this is going by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    All your base belong to us...

  4. Oh no, again? by drafalski · · Score: 2

    https://tech.slashdot.org/stor...

    1. Re:Oh no, again? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Man, doesn't China know they shouldn't over-extend their best and brightest. Keep them focused on one killbot project. If you divide their attention among two killbot projects, both will fail. When will they learn!!!!!

    2. Re:Oh no, again? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Reposted for comment censorship purposes. When the "meritocratic" "moderation" is insufficient to effectively censor they have to break out other tricks.

      Just fucking take responsibility for your content slashdot, dont pass it off on the users, when it is clearly manipulated. Just have the damn balls to censor what you want to censor and stand behind it.

      This cowardly censorship by proxy just makes you look bad,. You're only fooling the stupid.

  5. Shit editors. by Highdude702 · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Shit editors don't even check the last 10 stories to make sure what they are posting doesn't already have 100+ comments ON THE FRONT PAGE.

    1. Re:Shit editors. by Brandano · · Score: 3, Funny

      Making a script that checks if an URL has been posted recently before is an impossible task, I guess.

    2. Re:Shit editors. by The+Original+CDR · · Score: 4, Funny

      Not to be racist but all these Chinese news stories look alike.

    3. Re:Shit editors. by barc0001 · · Score: 1

      Did you check the comments of the last story that was posted? It's a perfect demonstration of why Slashdot needs to drop the ability to post AC...

    4. Re: Shit editors. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Ok captain obvious. Thanks for the news flash

    5. Re: Shit editors. by DontBeAMoran · · Score: 1

      Flash is dead, both Apple and Adobe confirmed it.

      --
      #DeleteFacebook
    6. Re: Shit editors. by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      Oh no run away horrible joke thread!

    7. Re:Shit editors. by Highdude702 · · Score: 1

      No, it's another one of the "known oppressor oppresses its citizens" so I would expect no less. And I kind of like the fact that there are still places that don't force you to give information to post a comment. Even if it's mostly used for spam and hate. I miss the old Internet.

    8. Re:Shit editors. by Gravis+Zero · · Score: 1

      Shit editors don't even check the last 10 stories to make sure what they are posting doesn't already have 100+ comments ON THE FRONT PAGE.

      The Slashdot editors are hard at work, so please forgive them.
      In the mean time, please, take a relaxing read of one of our latest stories: China's Brightest Children Are Being Recruited To Develop AI 'Killer Bots'

      --
      Anons need not reply. Questions end with a question mark.
    9. Re:Shit editors. by barc0001 · · Score: 1

      > And I kind of like the fact that there are still places that don't force you to give information to post a comment.

      The problem with that is we now have bots and low effort sponsored shitposters flooding Slashdot. Like I said, go have a gander at that last thread to see exactly how bad it can be, literally dozens of the same post flooding the comments. That's either a bot or a really Patriotic Citizen in action.

      You can miss the old Internet all you want, it sadly won't bring it back. And letting the chaff drown out the wheat has already put a damper on me visiting Slashdot as much as I used to. The worse it gets, the fewer people will actually bother coming here. Something has to be done as relying on peoples' better nature is a sick joke these days.

    10. Re:Shit editors. by imidan · · Score: 1

      You must be new here. It's a Slashdot tradition for the editors to re-post stories, even when they're currently on the front page. And it's tradition for us to bitch about them. But enjoy it! Joke about Natalie Portman! Harvest the earlier story for popular comments you can use to karma whore! Imagine a Beowulf cluster of lame iPods, each with less space than a nomad!

    11. Re:Shit editors. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      If I was you, I would assume that montreal guy took it down and that creimer doesn't have a coherent backup system in place or that he is just too confused about how to bring it back up.

      It seems the most logical explanation to me anyway...

      CROFLOL buddy!

    12. Re:Shit editors. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      On the contrary, I plan to be able to retired in 2020. I told you creimertards how to do it but no, you were to smart to listen!

      I have a hearing loss in one ear, so my audio will always be suspect. I use a Zoom H2 audio recorder with a pop filter 12" away from my mouth, Audacity to clean up and normalize the audio, and sync the audio to the video and apply a "voice enhancement" eq to the audio in the video editor.

      My PC has an eight-core processor and a Nvidia 1050 Ti 4GB video card. A minute of 1080p video renedered on the processor takes a minute. A minute of 1080p video renedered on the Nvidia card takes 10 seconds. I don't think an iPad has the same performance of my PC for renedering videos longer than a short clip.

      I can't imagine using Photoshop without a keyboard and mouse, or not being able to access my files from my file server. Video renedering on the iPad will probably suck donkey balls.

      Blackmagic also charges high prices for their gear as Apple does. Need an HDMI to USB3 capture device? Blackmagic is $300. Any generic company is $50.

      I take public transit. A local bus take me down the street to pick up the express bus, the express bus drops me off in Palo Alto, and a local bus take me down the street to my job. An hour each way. Driving through Palo Alto during rush hour is insane. Since I work in government I.T., I start work at 7:00AM.

      For a final project in Small Group Communications, my four Vietnamese classmates appointed me to do all the work and be the speaker because I was white. So I did all the work and spoke in front of the class. Our instructor, a black woman, gave me all their credit for the assignment and forced them to retake the class. They screamed "white privilige" all the way to administration and their complaint landed on deaf ears. They couldn't prove that they did anything to merit a grade and cheerleading from the back of the room doesn't count.

      The background file for my national security clearance got stolen by the Chinese a few years ago That contained a lot more information than the credit reports that Uncle Sam requested from all three bureaus.

      I find AmazonTM the gretest thing since sliced bread and helps taking care of my health at retirement with the Amazon long tail revenue streams!

      All you need to do is find a website with a permissive TOS, say, Slashdot, create a Python script to scrape your own comments, sprinkle Amazon affiliate links in various posts, and then re-post past links whenever possible. You can even make video of yourself going to pick up AmazonTM parcel at the convenience store and post it on your youtube channel for more redundant revenue streams.

      They also have a wide supply, the best of lattes, clif/power bars and microwave popcorn at the best cost, espicially if you make a friend buy them for you with your own affiliate link!

      Also, I still use my iPhone 6s and reduce my monthly bill from $80 to $50. As a phone and a video camera, the iPhone 6s isn't obsolete and I use it to make my videos on youtube. As a Sprint very special customer for 20+ years, Sprint will always give me a new iPhone for free if I decide to stop using the 6s as a phone in the next several years.

      I use PhotoShop daily!

      Bonus: get some silver coins, view recommendations on my special Youtube channel dedicated to the topic! They constitute a fail-safe insurance strategy for your retirement!

  6. huh by cascadingstylesheet · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Sort of an Ender's Game ...

    1. Re:huh by bugs2squash · · Score: 1

      My thought entirely, they'll make a movie about this.

      --
      Nullius in verba
    2. Re:huh by your_mother_sews_soc · · Score: 1

      ht to IMDB...
      Neo: What is it?
      Trinity: A déjà vu is usually a glitch in the Matrix. It happens when they change something.

      --
      My user name was a mistake. Input wasn't restricted, my bad.
  7. Meawhile in the U.S. by andydread · · Score: 0, Troll

    Workers at tech companies refuse to help their country defend themselves against these advancements because of a knee-jerk reaction of hating the military.

    1. Re: Meawhile in the U.S. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Why canâ(TM)t we be more like communist China?

    2. Re:Meawhile in the U.S. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Workers at tech companies refuse to help their country defend themselves against these advancements because of a knee-jerk reaction of hating the military.

      Defend? Yeah, OK. Much like the nuclear arms race, we both know damn well the only good defense is a good offense, so you can put down the patriotic paintbrush. There's no innocent picture to paint here on either side.

      Developing killer AI weapons isn't exactly a race to the bottom that many want to participate in, even the most patriotic. Many are still sitting on the sidelines in disbelief wondering if we should ever cross that damn line, because intelligent people know what this shit leads to. And we don't hate the military (we've come a LONG way from Vietnam). What people hate is when the military is manipulated for unjust reasons, which often results in unnecessary violence and death.

    3. Re: Meawhile in the U.S. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Because thank god there are still people fighting for our freedoms.

    4. Re:Meawhile in the U.S. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's only because they hate Trump. The moment a demorat becomes president they change their minds.

    5. Re:Meawhile in the U.S. by Archtech · · Score: 1

      Well done! Of the 26 comments posted so far, yours is the only one that addresses the story and contributes intelligent insights.

      Slashdot badly needs a button that takes you past the however-many-dozen irrelevant comments to the first ones that are worth reading. Attention is THE scarce resource.

      --
      I am sure that there are many other solipsists out there.
    6. Re:Meawhile in the U.S. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Let me get this straight. After forcing them to pay taxes to support things they don't believe in, you're going to go one step further and ridicule them for taking a stand on something they actually have control over? Here's a better idea: why don't you take your blind patriotism and ram it up your ass?

    7. Re:Meawhile in the U.S. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 1

      Slashdot badly needs a button that takes you past the however-many-dozen irrelevant comments to the first ones that are worth reading. Attention is THE scarce resource.

      Interesting. Could be a candidate for machine learning and NLP.

      Seems tough though, how could an AI ever realize that the one line comment "Sort of an Ender's Game ..." is on topic and interesting without an understanding of the book?

      Would seem to almost require a human level intelligence!

    8. Re:Meawhile in the U.S. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Trump is a traitor. It's not really comparable to Democrats on any level, Trump is Putin's bitch for real.

  8. Too soon! by Spamalope · · Score: 1

    Are we not waiting until it's off the main page before posting dupes anymore?

    Dupes were better back before dicedot. #cowboyneal

  9. Maybe then can create a competent /. editor! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If we're lucky, all these Chinese might come up with some AI that can work as a competent Slashdot editor.

  10. Maybe China Should Recruit Its Brightest Children by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    To develop software to prevent dupes

  11. I refreshed my page after logging in this morning. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    And thought - surely they've added some new articles since this one! But then I realised, this is Slashdot... Idiots.

    'Climatedot' is becoming laughable nowadays. And this article doesn't mention 'climate change' either, so that's another fail for them... LOL.

  12. Protest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    The left is protesting the firing of someone Hitler like

    Duly noted.

    1. Re:Protest by mcvos · · Score: 1

      Don't pretend the left likes Session. He's a horrible person. But at least he has just enough integrity not to interfere with the investigation. Whoever Trump is going to replace him with, is probably not going to have such scruples. The people aren't protesting the firing of a wannabe-Hitler, they're protesting the obstruction of justice that's certain to follow.

    2. Re:Protest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      So you're Hitler-like. Good to know.

      Are we allowed to Bash the Fash, too?

    3. Re:Protest by mcvos · · Score: 1

      I'm "Hitler-like" for wanting justice done? You make no sense.

      I want all these fascists out. Replacing one with another isn't going to fix anything.

    4. Re:Protest by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      You have zero interest in justice - only witch hunts against people who don't follow your party line 100%.

      I stand corrected. You are not Hitler-like. You are Literally Hitler.

    5. Re:Protest by mcvos · · Score: 1

      "Literally Hitler"? Are you really that kind of person?

      I want justice done. Nobody believes that Trump is firing Sessions because of his horrible child separation policy, and Trump and many of his supporters have defended that policy. Trump has made it abundantly clear that he his firing Sessions for the one single good thing Sessions has done: allowing an independent investigation to continue. If you do not think that the next step is going to be the appointment of an AG who will help Trump in obstructing justice, you are a fool.

  13. Slashdots Brightest Editors Are Posting Dupes by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    But the brightest slashdot editor would probably lose to a toddler with downs syndrome in a battle of the wits.

  14. Please by SCVonSteroids · · Score: 1

    Delete this or merge it.
    It's bad enough that almost every article is fucking clickbait to begin with, we don't need duplicate clickbait articles. Seriously this place is going to shit.

    --
    I tend to rant.
    1. Re:Please by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Do we need Slashdot three-point-Oh?

  15. two years by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Trump's last official act will be to unconditionally surrender.

  16. Interesting use of authority by ErichTheRed · · Score: 1

    One thing that I think is going to make China the dominant global power in the mid-to-late 21st century -- besides a massive population advantage -- is their government structure. If they want a cyber-weapons program, that's what they'll get.

    Like it or not, the way things are set up now in China is incredibly efficient. Anywhere else, there would be years of debate over any decision. With both economic and political control, decisions that just can't be made anywhere else are simply made by decree and done. Having control over companies lets the central government choose what industries get attention and which get less, as well as react immediately to outside influences. An example would be the massive amount of infrastructure spending that simply materialized to stave off the effects of the 2008 GFC, or their plans to re-colonize Africa via economic means this time.

    I don't think most Westerners would want to live under such a system, but it's incredibly good at allocating resources and turning sharply to face challenges. It doesn't matter whether a decision is unpopular...that's the decision and that's it.

    1. Re:Interesting use of authority by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Tyranny! Bad decisions are made as quickly as good decisions. Perhaps Constitutional cultures delay bad decisions while speeding thru good-ones. WE surely know Trotsky-slut democracy vis' DemoRat poodles does the opposite.

    2. Re:Interesting use of authority by rtb61 · · Score: 1

      China was crippled by corruption and is now slowly cleaning up it's act. The US is now crippled by corruption and it is getting worse. AI in most instance is not smarter than insects and that is pretty much what you strive to mimic for most functions. Of course hive minded insects with limited communications but enabling swarm activities is the goal, no more complex than that. The US can try to solve these problems but the levels and corruption and unlimited greed mean, failure is now the norm, not just because they do not care but they get paid to try again, so failure on purpose and it is going to get worse.

      --
      Chaos - everything, everywhere, everywhen
    3. Re:Interesting use of authority by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Trotsky was a true leader and genuine anti-fascist who identified them and developed the means to fight them as they formed.

    4. Re:Interesting use of authority by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      China was crippled by corruption and is now slowly cleaning up it's act.

      By having a president-for-life who has replaced the previous government bureaucracy with a bunch of yes men?

      You clearly have never been to China. You clearly do not read cursory news about China. You know absolutely nothing about Chinese politics or government that could possibly be insightful to anyone. Why are you even talking?

    5. Re:Interesting use of authority by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      Corruption, Not obeying with 100% support behind the true leader.

    6. Re:Interesting use of authority by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      Why are you even talking. Whatever else, China is economically more free than it was, and is reaping the rewards. Is that "less corruption"? I dunno, but your comment is useless.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
    7. Re:Interesting use of authority by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

      That's the thing.
      I believe a system like in China is efficient short to medium term. It will be interesting though to see if under such an authoritarian system in the long run major innovation can happen and flourish.
      I believe the one really big advantage the US has had in the last century or so was that fundamentally new stuff could happen. People could come up with new ideas and make thriving companies out of them without being stunted from the top by government or incumbents. Maybe not always, things never are perfect, but often enough to really make a change.
      China has always suffered from authoritarian governments. Even though many things were invented there first in history in the end China was overtaken by Europeans. And I believe the central authoritarian government time and time again deciding it didn't want stuff to happen was the primary reason. The foundations for the scientific method was laid in China around the same time as in ancient Greece, but government made a conscious decision to push traditionalist value philosophy in the form of Confucianism instead. Likewise the huge fleet just before the European time of discovery. The Portuguese could have traveled around to globe only to find Chinese tribute states, but instead some Emperor decided he was having none of that and actually made high sea faring a crime instead.

      Efficiency of decision making processes doesn't mean the right decisions will be made.

  17. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 1

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  18. What about "RUSSIA! RUSSIA! RUSSIA!" BeauHD? by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Come on.

    You left out BeauHD's fascination with "RUSSIA! RUSSIA! RUSSIA!"

    BeauHD is apparently stuck in the 1980s - they want their foreign policy back. Thanks Obama!

  19. No such thing as AI by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    There never was and there may never truly be AI. So all China did was recruit smart kids to kill humans in smart ways. Where's the news here.

  20. Duplicate by zferrini · · Score: 0

    Wait, wasnt this same article five listings down?

  21. Universal concept with very suspect reporting by Jzanu · · Score: 1

    Certainly this is not unique to China or a new practice to recruit from schools for armies around the world. What then is the purpose of this pair of stories, one overrun by trolls, and this one vaguely repeating some of the usual xenophobic fears? One was an accidental honey trap that will allows tracking influence networks on Slashdot, and this one fits into the old tapestry of fear-based propaganda.

  22. Human extinction by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    If they pursue this, the entire human race will die. Hunter-killer robots might as well be nuclear weapons. The end of humanity can go down VERY, VERY quickly.

    1. Re:Human extinction by Impy+the+Impiuos+Imp · · Score: 1

      And they intend to be the ones to release the nanobots to kill everyone except dear leader for life.

      --
      (-1: Post disagrees with my already-settled worldview) is not a valid mod option.
  23. Sure They Are. by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Right after they steal the code from America.

    China builds NOTHING. Ever.

    China had fireworks for 1500 years but didnt invent the gun.

    They have no creative thought. Just copies of copies of state propaganda. Their movies are shit for this reason too, as is their music.

    Shit culture bent to serving one family for thousands of years now serves 9 of them who keep their elders together to prevent any one of them going full Chink on the others. Distrustful and schemey is the Chinaman. Always.

  24. Tiananmen Square Tank Man by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Tell us about your tiny chinky cock.. oh wait, you just did!

  25. Gay Boys = Population Advantage LOL by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    How is China going to feed all those people when air pollution makes all their rice inedible by 2050?

    China gonna be a violent shithole.

  26. Re: Muh Leftists! by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    So brave.

  27. New Headline... by ktakki · · Score: 1

    China's Smartest Students Are Being Recruited To Check Slashdot For Dupes.

    -k.

    --
    "In spite of everything, I still believe that people are really good at heart." - Anne Frank
  28. Do YOU like what you see? apk by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    See subject & I don't: I see our kids (no experience/wisdom - easily manipulated) in the USA being told "you're not a boy, you're a girl" & vice-a-versa - WTF?

    Sorry but I knew what I was then but perhaps not ALL do (or are strong-willed enough in their own personal convictions to "overturn 'experts'" (fucking WANNABES & weirdos themselves attempting to subvert what's RIGHT since they are ALL F'ing WRONG & they KNOW it)).

    I also do NOT like seeing "violence is bad" & some YOUNG DUDE being F'd over in highschool for being in a fistfight (not that bad, not many then have the power to kill unless an athlete or naturally powerful (& guys like that who have SENSE won't throw their life out over some shitbrain WEEZIL 'spreading rumors' (the weapon of the WHIMP - always backfires, I know - happened to me here on /. & I win as always vs. that bs)).

    VIOLENCE is the ULTIMATE DIPLOMAT & DETERRENT vs. 'weezils' especially so no more stupidity occurs (since they don't UNDERSTAND ANYTHING ELSE - except a punch in the head or worse).

    Do I like VIOLENCE?

    NO! I always, Always ALWAYS hated RESORTING to it - but, it works (ask government around the world for an "expert" opinion). It's ALWAYS a last resort w/ those who do NOT respect logic, reason & mercy.

    When those that you speak to don't understand THAT language? OUT comes the fist/gun so they DO understand (as it is the language they themselves speak e.g. ANTIFA punks).

    In fact having largely existed in it (not all of my life but in the midpoint to NOW)?

    I absolutely HATE it - why? Ever pop someone, see them knocked out wondering "I just killed him, my life's gone" - no joke but it has proven to be an ally in my life (in a hellhole GHETTO that oddly? I returned to DECADES later)...

    HOWEVER, it IS necessary to USE (not abuse & to STOP MORE OF IT, hence WHY LAW has GUNS behind it - seems to work, right?) & they try say "no violence" yet make WARS for THEIR ends? F that.

    APK

    P.S.=> See subject people (those of you that are NORMAL human beings, not TWISTED ABNORMAL FUCKING WEIRDOS with an agenda of HATE (the TRUE haters, mainly of their INFERIOR F'd up SELVES & those who aren't as CURSED as they are & yes - they KNOW it about themselves (self-caused FAILS)) .

    So again so it SINKS IN- do YOU like what you SEE? I don't! Why? Simple:

    Point-Blank: You can't cater to freaks w/ a LIFELONG CHIP on their shoulder because they are REJECTS & not necessarily their own fault, but fate @ times, others not!

    (That type tends to misinterpret mercy as weakness but they SURELY do not MISINTERPRET being BEATEN DOWN (they're the 1st to abuse that in fact but it always backfires on them - witness ANTIFA, I rest my case))

    F them, & instead? Hey - you take care of the NORMAL majority the REST takes care of itself (wanna be a freak loser instead? You lose)... apk

  29. Comment removed by account_deleted · · Score: 0

    Comment removed based on user account deletion

  30. Yeh, right by Anonymous Coward · · Score: 0

    Just like Saddam of Iraq was buying Play Station so he can use the processors in his rockets... or his WMDs