Human oversight is crucial, say experts. REUTERS/Maxim Shemetov
Quartz: With no laws to stop them, defense firms are on track to make killer robots a reality
Weapons built by defense manufacturers that can think for themselves are getting smarter, which mean the much-feared killer robot could be a reality sooner than later. That’s the warning contained in a new report from Pax, a nonprofit based in the Netherlands that campaigns for peace around the world.
Killer robots, or lethal autonomous weapons systems, are designed to make life-or-death decisions on their own, without human control. It’s a worrying leap that’s been called the “third revolution in warfare,” after gunpowder and the atomic bomb. Both activists and military leaders have called for international regulations to govern these weapons, or even ban them outright, but key governments—like the United States and Russia—have so far resisted.
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WNU Editor: Russia is already claiming to have used autonomous drones in strikes .... Russia Says It Used Autonomous Armed Strike Drones in a Wargame (Defense One).