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Should 'killer robots' be banned ?


Saru

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A human rights organisation has called for the complete ban of autonomous robotic weapon platforms.

Governments should pre-emptively ban fully autonomous weapons because of the danger they pose to civilians in armed conflict, Human Rights Watch said in a report released today.

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Giving machines the power to decide who lives and dies on the battlefield would take technology too far.

This is a fair point in my opinion. Not from the point of view of 'machines taking over' but more from the point of view that computer programs can go wrong and recognition software can make mistakes (just as humans can). With a human in control though (even remotely) a decision can be made, this way wrong decisions can have consequences rather than just being blamed on 'computer error'.

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Cylons!!!!!

the armies are still going to use this tech any way, there just gonna be more sneaky about it.

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It seems robot are taking over the world regardless of one can say. If we look at it, soon your burger will be done by a robot, your car is already built by many, and somehow people still don't have time to stop and smell the roses? Who's fault is that?

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Ban them before they take over the world, haven't they watched Terminator?

After that they'll enslave humanity and use us for harvesting bio-electricity. It says so in the Matrix.

“Action is needed now, before killer robots cross the line from science fiction to feasibility,” Goose said.

Yeah, sure. And before we're used in bio-power plants, fed only with a computer generated false reality.

Unless that already happened and we just don't know it...

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C'mon guys, what have the poor defenseless robots ever done to you? They have feelings too you know.

It would be interesting to see how they would perform however I'm not sure if they would ever be used with full autonomy.

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What sort of a crazy world are we living in that: a) these things have been invented and made, B) they're even considering using them?

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This is a fair point in my opinion. Not from the point of view of 'machines taking over' but more from the point of view that computer programs can go wrong and recognition software can make mistakes (just as humans can). With a human in control though (even remotely) a decision can be made, this way wrong decisions can have consequences rather than just being blamed on 'computer error'.

Agreed. At least with a person someone can theoretically be held directly responsible. If an automated killing machine blows up the wrong house, I can hardly see computer programmers being held responsible.

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Any weapon developed, leads to countermeasures by an enemy.

We've already seen examples of electronic warfare taking place, such as radar, radio, satellite jamming or cyber attacks.

The use of autonomous robot weapons, whether ground based or aerial, would see the same type of attacks.

What if an enemy were able to re-program such weapons.

It would be a nasty situation if a squadron or robotic aircraft were launched against enemy targets, and they turned around and began attacking our own targets!

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Who is it to say that other countries will not build them. How would the robot know who is friend or foe. If you say their suits the soldiers were then the enemy could just wear the other countries uniform and fool the robot. Lots of things can go wrong. I say build them but to a certain extend but how?? don't ask me.

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Interesting, but not at all what is happening at the moment. I take the point that full autonomy would be wrong.

Having worked on the Talarion Project I can state that autonomy is strictly limited to attaining the theatre of operations, and to attaining a "crash - site" if communications are lost (not quite that simplistic - but near enough for this discussion).

The command for "weapons live" and "release" are still under human control, and if there is a Software failure leading to unintentional release of weapons then it is absolutely the personal responsibility of the people who "signed off" the Control System. They can, each and everyone, be held responsible, under International Law for Negligent Homicide.... That is why I carry 10M UK Pounds of personal Insurance.

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I can see where a robot might be needed like to go into a area where disease or radiation is a problem. I wouldn't like see wars fought with them because then the thought of war would lose its meaning and started over little things. We have already taken steps to use robots in war, its called a drone airplane. I don't think it will stop there. The scientists have to keep coming up with something new to keep the military interested.

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I can see both sides of the coin here yes no do we don't we hmm I'll sit on the fence with this one. :unsure2:

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you cant really ban robot wepons because it would be immpossible to get all the nations and powers to agree to ban them.The same thing happened with nukes. Thats the real world folks its not fairytell land sorry. I would rather have a robot get shot then a human anyday.

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Not to defend anything, but rather to point-out that weapon laden cruise missles have long been autonomous, utilizing military GPS and sophisticated terrain mapping imaging to be target directed.

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Complex philisophical question for me.

But yes, they should be banned. In a case of war, killing someone by remote control seems unethical, much the same way that I find land mines unethical. It's emotionally easier to kill a terrorist and most of his family if the non-combatants are just pixels on a screen.

Surveillance use? Sure.

Asimov rolls over in his grave; "1. A robot may not injure a human being

or, through inaction, allow a human being to come to harm!"

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They should be killed. Preferably by other robots.

Then those robots should be killed.

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