These bots range from updates on older technology to totally new inventions to futuristic concepts that haven’t even been built yet. Whether the robots are cuddly, intimidating, smart, or scary, they never fail to capture our attention. These points will need to be addressed before the next steps are taken in the field of military robotics.Everyone loves a great robot story. Is it conceivable that robots designed to reduce the number of soldiers on the ground – in turn, limiting human collateral – could have the opposite effect and only increase conflict? With the rise of cyberwarfare, there are also misgivings over what might happen in the event of a military robot being hacked.
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But the ramifications of such mistakes taking place in the home are hardly comparable to those that might occur on the battlefield. Consumers voice recognition devices such as Amazon Echo and Siri, for instance, regularly mishear or misinterpret commands. So far there is little to no evidence of current AI-enabled systems ever being entirely fault-free. Irrespective of whether a military robot is ‘dumb’ or ‘smart’, questions remain around the use of AI in a military setting. Suchman, however, says she has “no problem” with ‘dumb’, remotely control technology, provided it has “no capacity to cause injury itself.”įurther questions: Tackling glitches and hacking threats This would, by definition, render lethal autonomous weapons illegal.” “The position of the campaign is that the design of weapon systems must render them incapable of operating without meaningful human control. “Lethal autonomous weapon systems are those in which the critical functions of target selection and initiation of violent force have been delegated to the system in ways that preclude meaningful human control,” says Lucy Suchman, professor of anthropology and science and technology at Lancaster University, who is also an ICRAC member. Thirdly, ICRAC fears AWS could have a detrimental impact on global security, particularly in the event of their use by actors not accountable to legal frameworks governing the use of force. Secondly, machines have moral limitations, given their inability to understand what it means to be in a state of law, much less ending a human life. Firstly, the group says, it is impossible to ensure AWS’ compliance with International Humanitarian Law, particularly when it comes to distinguishing between combatants and civilians. This has sparked the creation of the Human Rights Watch-led International Committee for Robot Arms Control (ICRAC), which is campaigning for a multilateral ban on lethal autonomous weapon systems (AWS). The introduction of AI to military weapons does not sit well with everyone, however. Image: BAE Systems No to killer robots: Are autonomous weapons ethical in the field of conflict?
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The UK’s tempest fighter jet will be equipped with AI and machine learning technology. Deployment is scheduled for some point in the 2030s. It will also carry onboard directed energy weapons, and be able to operate alongside semi-autonomous ‘wingman’ UAVs. Meanwhile, across the Atlantic, in 2018 the UK unveiled plans to replace its RAF Typhoon aircraft with the Tempest fighter jet.Īccording to the Ministry of Defence, the Tempest will be equipped with AI and machine learning to fly unmanned and hit targets. The US Navy is conducting tests on the Sea Hunter, a ship that could be able to detect and attack enemy submarines without any input whatsoever from command control. While the Marine Corps has gone to lengths to keep further details under wraps, it is believed that Sea Mob marks the first step in completely autonomous naval weaponry which can operate without human intervention.
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According to reports, prototype tests have already been carried out on a fleet of inflatable ‘ghost fleet’ vessels piloted by AI-enabled hardware off the coast of Virginia. Last year, the cover was blown on a secret Marine Corps project known as Sea Mob. However, when it comes to the future of military robots, the field of ‘smart’, autonomous robotics is drawing the most attention. It is very much part of the legacy that began with PackBot.
#Futuristic war robot software#
This kind of technology falls under the category of ‘dumb’ robots – software designed to follow instructions given by humans. Making decisions: The latest developments in ‘smart’ robotics For instance, if a robot is told to approach a building, it might ask for further clarification, such as: “Do you mean the building on the right or on the left?” But, unlike a military dog, the software also enables a question-asking function in order to deal with the numerous ambiguities encountered within the theatre of conflict.