Very interesting article discussing the current state of robotics in our military, where it is going, and even a discussion of the ethical and social impacts (that both are and are not taking place). Some people may not realize how quickly this transformation is taking place. I remember a Wall Street Journal article discussing a Stealth Bomber pilot taking off from the US (Kansas or something like that), flying a bombing mission to Iraq, landing back in the US, and then picking his kids up from a little league game. I was pretty blown away by that at the time, but this is sure taking it to the next level. Good read.
Some selected quotes to whet the appetite:
“By 2015, the US Department of Defense plans that one third of its fighting strength will be composed of robots, part of a $127bn (£68bn) project known as Future Combat Systems (FCS), a transformation that is part of the largest technology project in American history.”
“The US military has 2,500 uncrewed systems deployed in conflicts around the world. But is it Star Wars or I, Robot that the US is bringing to reality? By 2035, the plan is for the first completely autonomous robot soldiers to stride on to the battlefield.”
“…scientists at Qinetiq told the Guardian two years ago that it had built a robot fighter plane. When flown on test flights, they said, the fighter is accompanied by two crewed fighters, whose role is to shoot it down if it malfunctions.”
“With the increasing likelihood of more autonomous systems being deployed, some US generals have also raised concerns about the reliability of software and its vulnerability to hacking and viruses, pointing out that a rogue robot could inflict considerable damage on humans on its own side in a battle.”
“This is a very historic period; we are now determining who will fight wars in the future and how we will fight them. The human monopoly on war is being broken. Science fiction has now become science reality and we are changing the rules of the game. It's something we have to discuss and it's better we talk now than afterwards."
http://technology.guardian.co.uk/weekly/story/0,,1930960,00.html
2 comments:
I remember reading about the same pardigm shift from the the fighting style of WWI and WWII to vietname. With long range rifles and airstrikes you didn't need to look your enemies in the eye when you killed them.
Now, if all it takes is clicking a button on some computer screen, the buffer between killer and victim (or bad guy) if getting wider. Sooner or later, it will be just like a video game.
Absolutely. Pretty soon much of life has the potential to be "just like a video game". As we tap further into our nervous system and learn how to provide the correct information to the pathways used by our five senses, we will achieve "perfect VR". Whether it is playing games, hooking up with friends, doing your job, or killing the enemy; all will be enhanced through the exponential advance of technology.
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