Issue of Killer Robots discussed at UN Human Rights Council

[Zip Loc]

Hello Escapists,

Apparently somebody at the UN Human Rights Council brought up the idea of real killer robots. UN Special Rapporteur Christof Heyns brought this to the council's attention, saying that "The possible introduction of LARs (Lethal Autonomous Robots) raises far-reaching concerns about the protection of life during war and peace." He presented a report on his research and called for a worldwide moratorium on the production and deployment of them until the legal and ethical problems could be worked out.

Opinions?

Source (secondhand, don't have time to track down original reports):
http://www.stuff.co.nz/technology/gadgets/8740534/Terminator-like-killer-robots-worry-UN

 

[Korolev]

It's pointless. It's going to happen once the technology is invented. Soldiers don't want to die, and the families of soldiers don't want them to die either - if they knew that autonomous robots could go into dangerous situations for them, they'd rather the robot do it, and what politician is going to say "No! You can't do that!".

We already have semi-autonomous killing devices - modern landmines, for instance, have computers and sensors which will sense the metal-content of a vehicle passing over them and either will or will not detonate based on what the programmer thinks is the average amount of metal content in a military vehicle. That's semi-autonomous right there.

The countries that will call for these robots to be banned are the ones that don't have them and have no realistic prospect of developing them anytime in the forseeable future. The countries that have these robots or can build them are not going to ban them, no matter how much pressure is put on them from the UN.

Do LARs raise ethical problems and legal problems? Absolutely. Absolutely, 100% they cause ethical and moral problems and they represent a danger and they need to be regulated. But so do landmines, cluster bombs, white-phosphorus, depleted uranium shells and nuclear weapons, and the US, Russia and China aren't going to ever give those weapons up, and I can bet you my house that they will proceed with full speed on LAR development regardless of whatever the UN says, because the UN is POWERLESS against the US, Russia and China (and those nations specifically set the UN up to BE Powerless against them).

 

[MrWunderful]

As long as we can institute Asimov's # laws, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Three_Laws_of_Robotics Then I am cool with it.

But Then I guess they would not be lethal.

 

[Redlin5_v1legacy]

Both due to a lingering fear of robots (thank you Terminator at age 8) and to a futile optimism in living long enough to see war abolished; I say I really do not want killer robots. I'd rather not live in a world where whoever has the biggest number of robots or has the ability to hack and use their neighbors robots wins. If war ever comes to Canadian soil, I would want a modicum of a chance. I do not fancy my odds against a robot. v.v

 

[FreakofNatur]

The only robots that should be made are those that assist mankind in general, and in no way should they be used and wielded like weapons. It is simply irresponsible to abuse technology advancement to kill humans more safely or efficiently because why do that? It's just idiotic. We have been doing that for the longest time, and it's time to stop. We're literally killing ourselves at a rate no other species can.

I don't call for world peace. I only call for those scientists and robotics experts to dispense their technology responsibly. Military application-robots should be a failsafe rather than a replacement. This of course is prior to mankind becoming a 2nd-tier civilization. Who knows what spacefaring might result?

 

[thiosk]

No!

I've already trademarked
Murderbot
Murderbot 5000
Murderbot 5000 Deluxe
Murderbot 5000 Deluxe Unicorn Fantasy Edition

 

[Thaluikhain]

We already have semi-autonomous killing devices - modern landmines, for instance, have computers and sensors which will sense the metal-content of a vehicle passing over them and either will or will not detonate based on what the programmer thinks is the average amount of metal content in a military vehicle. That's semi-autonomous right there.

The countries that will call for these robots to be banned are the ones that don't have them and have no realistic prospect of developing them anytime in the forseeable future. The countries that have these robots or can build them are not going to ban them, no matter how much pressure is put on them from the UN.

Well, yes, but then how many countries actually use such landmines? Most developed nations have banned landmines, and those that have not still don't tend to use them anymore, but reserve the right to do so in future.

I see too many political problems with using them in the foreseeable future.

 

[kypsilon]

Didn't they already invent like tiny fly-bots that can inject humans with tiny transmitters, or I dunno, ebola? Shit, lots of people die from mosquitoes and the stuff they carry every year. When the robot mosquito rampage starts, how the hell would we know?

*SLAP*

Aww....