Coming Soon: Autonomous Drones That Choose Who to Kill
October 8th, 2013
In The Terminator science fiction film series, the US government paid defense contractor Cyberdyne Systems to create an automated, artificial intelligence based national defense program called Skynet. Of course, as fans of the film know, Skynet then became self-aware and effectively declared war against mankind, unleashing nuclear weapons and an army of killer robots to devastate humanity. In November of last year, I wrote a blog pointing out some similarities between the real-world US drone program and the hunter-killer robots from The Terminator.
Now, in real life, defense contractors and military scientists in over 77 countries have begun working on lethal autonomous robots that make their own decisions about who to kill. The Department of Defense has set guidelines regulating and allowing for the creation of these artificial intelligence guided drones. It appears that governments around the world are racing to create automated, killer robots like those from The Terminator series.
Some Types of Lethal Autonomous Robots Are Already in Use
Though full-blown hunter-killer robots are not quite ready for prime time, Vice noted that several lethal autonomous weapons systems are already in use, primarily for anti-aircraft and missile defense purposes. These are not quite as terrifying as automatic drones in that they are programmed to take down missiles. However, it is a bit unnerving to think that robots can currently deploy explosive ordinance on their own.
UN officials have called for a ban on lethal autonomous robots, though it seems that few nations are participating, as a full-blown drone arms race appears to be taking place. Proponents argue that autonomous drones would be harder to hack, and that robots wouldn’t suffer from human error. National Journal quoted Purdue University Professor Samuel Liles as saying, “If a drone’s system is sophisticated enough, it could be less emotional, more selective and able to provide force in a way that achieves a tactical objective with the least harm. A lethal autonomous robot can aim better, target better, select better, and in general be a better asset with the linked ISR [intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance] packages it can run.” According to the Wikipedia article on Skynet from The Terminator, “The strategy behind Skynet’s creation was to remove the possibility of human error and slow reaction time to guarantee a fast, efficient response to enemy attacks.”
Military Warns Against Rogue Robots
DailyTech covered a report, funded by the US Navy, that notes the possibility that military scientists might lose control of automated robots. Since these projects are of such massive scope, it could be difficult for technicians to fully assess the artificial intelligence programs that would control a robot’s behavior, especially as more and more modifications pile up over time. As additional programmers add to a piece of code, it becomes increasingly difficult for any individual person to understand every line.
Ultimately, it seems that there is an arms race developing in the lethal autonomous robots sector, which should be alarming to everyone. Dystopian science fiction films often warn us about the unintended consequences that could spring forth from the development of new technological advances. Department of Defense officials should probably watch The Terminator over the weekend and reflect on whether or not we need an army of automated killer robots.
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