UK Minstry of Defence: Unmanned aircraft are moving us towards a 'Terminator-like' world

[JohnyCanuck]

The increased use of unmanned aircraft in conflict zones makes war more likely, and risks creating a 'Terminator-like' world, the Ministry of Defence has warned.

It said that using robots to carry out wars for us could be unethical - as Britain continues to use unmanned drones in Afghanistan.

In the Terminator movies by director James Cameron robots have developed a consciousness and hunt down and kill humans.

Fearing that this could become a reality, the internal report says we must act now to decide what is 'acceptable machine behaviour'.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1377989/Unmanned-aircraft-moving-Terminator-like-world-say-Ministry-Defence.html#ixzz1JsotLwrR

[originalpckelly]

1. Yeah, as long as they can't think for themselves...

I think we're OK. It's when you build artificial intelligence into them that's the problem, in my mind.

[chrisa]

2. Machines do what humans program them to do

Programming a machine to make decisions is just stupid in some circumstances. Giving a machine consciousness would just be stupid, and would make no sense, because we program machines to do a certain thing. You wouldn't want a bunch of machines running around that could turn on you - what would be the point?

That's why these Matrix / Terminator / etc. movies make me laugh. People would never program machines that could turn around and shoot them in the face, because the machine would need to be programmed to do so.

[originalpckelly]

3. Well, if you were stupid enough to give it the ability to reprogram itself...

then you'd be fucked.

I bet someone might do that some day, but not now.

[Ozymanithrax]

4. Drones at this time are guided by humans, who decide who they kill

with them. I have not seen any evidence that autonomous robots have been released on the field of battle. You could set up a program to give the robot the ability to recognize when it was being shot at, to look at the enemy and see if it is friend or enemy by preprogrammed criteria, and kill it. But it would be no better than the human being guiding the drone or piloting the Raptor or Main Battle Tank.

We have yet to make a computer that can think for itself, that is conscious. Even if that is possible, what makes anyone think that it would decide to kill everyone.

Robots work that way because of the fictional assumption that they are soulless creatures who have no inner sense of morality, a soul. Whether Hal in 2001 a Space Odyssey, or the Terminator, they are a modern version of Frankenstein that turns on its creator, which only copies that fact that so often humans appear to have turned on their creator and violated their perceived creators laws. It is a idea in fiction and story that once we become Gods enough to create life, the life will turn on us.

[JohnyCanuck]

5. Taranis Drone - Artificial Intelligence to take over the Skies

The British military has unveiled a new unmanned attack aircraft designed to use artificial intelligence to fly itself halfway around the world and select enemy targets on its own, highlighting fears that such military automation will one day lead to weapons that decide when to shoot as well.

The Taranis prototype, a stealthy jet-powered autonomous flying robot weapon system, is billed by the British government and defence contractor BAE Systems as the first of its kind.

Unlike most other unmanned aerial vehicles, which are controlled by humans on the ground and fly in a limited area in support of ground troops, Taranis could be programmed to fly itself between continents to reach enemy territory.

“It could then carry out intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance activity. … It's a combat aircraft with weapons so it could strike with precision weapons,” said Squadron Leader Bruno Wood, the Ministry of Defence spokesman for the Taranis project.

He added that humans would “absolutely” be in control of deciding when to fire any weapons system. “That's something you would never erase the human element from.” (And I'll take that last assurance with the proverbial grain of salt. /JC.)

http://www.redicecreations.com/article.php?id=11793

[JohnyCanuck]

6. kick n/t

[Bosonic]

7. You have 30 seconds to comply

Not limited to the skies of course, here's a promo video for the Samsung autonomous sentry. The music may lead you to think this is a parody; it's not.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pMkV8E2re9U