Executive Summary
War today is waged against terrorism. Lives are continuously loss, and military forces need to engage in asymmetric warfare to counter terrorist type threat in previously different ways – through robots.
Although still rare, robots are poised for a breakout with the fact that they are saving lives (particularly American lives) and killing American enemies, the terrorist. However, we need to question the underlining values of the use of robot systems to make the strike.
This topic review seeks to answer the following:
1) How has the use of robots changed modern warfare?
2) The issues on ethics and proliferation of automated defence systems involved
3) What lies ahead of the future with the inclusion of robots in military technology?
Introduction/Background
- Military technology has changed over time with ideas.
- Human is becoming the weakest link in defence systems.
- Previously, it matters who has the bigger sticks, it certainly matters more who is swinging it. Now, where it is being swing makes a much bigger difference.
- Robots are now used to deal with issues what people in the field call “Three D’s” – Task that are dull, dirty or dangerous.
- Robots increases the combat effectiveness distance of soldiers, such as avoiding improvised explosive devices that may appear no different from any piece of trash.
- Kings of the war previously the artillery for its distance effectiveness has now overtaken by the UAVs.
- Give up blood for machines
Issues/Challenges/Opportunities
Opportunities
- Precision to reduce Collateral Damage (A chance to do so, however the stage of accomplishing is still too immature.
Point it on the map, they won’t take it
- Combat effectiveness (UAV such as the predator, previously used for reconnaissance)
- Reducing cost of military operations.
- Military Technology can be used for Rescue. Disaster Relief.
- Psychology disconnection from the war
Issues
- A successful hit is known in the CIA as a “bugsplat”. It is horribly like a video game
- Digital Jamming ( Fighting blind, losing control )
Challenges
- Risk of civilian casualties
Out of Blue A growing controversy over the use of unmanned aerial strikes – Economist Jul 30th 2011
Out of Blue A growing controversy over the use of unmanned aerial strikes – Economist Jul 30th 2011
- Should we hand over autonomy to artificial intelligence of a robot?
Programme for counter measures while fighting blind
Key Observations
Discussion and Analysis
Discussion and Analysis
- Providing autonomy to machines is an issue equivalent to Lord Voldemort in Harry Potter, an issue not to be discussed.
- Technology such as unmanned systems can be seductive, feeding overconfidence that can lead nations to war.
- Lower Human cost of war can seduce us into more wars.
- Concept of war porn. Watching rather than experiencing.
- Has the use of robots particularly in the case of UAVs went against the International Humanitarian Laws.
Who should be held liable for the collateral damage after all each individual UAV can be piloted by a few UAV.
Taking Things Forward
- Concept of supervise rather than control
- Working as a team
- Would machine autonomy lead to a takeover, matrix-style
- Future of the technology would probably be smaller, faster. Combat load of 75kg. To be reduced, or integrated to our daily technology to save cost.
PS3 for super computer, Ipad, Iphone
- Better manoeuvre
- Multiple control over different robots?
Conclusion
- Military Technology is present as a deterrent factor. Not used as a form of aggression
- World War allowed us to understand that war isn’t pleasant, while we are creating the next Iron Man.
- Use of robots is still at a very premature age to go further and be accepted by society, this technologies need to iron out
References
HI DANIEL!
ReplyDeleteNice and concise summary u have.
Some suggestions:
1) Define robots in your paper. Do they include machineries such as tanks etc.?
2) Will the use of robots at war lead to inequality? Poor nations do not have the capability to harness and invest in such technology, will they be disadvantaged?
3) Military domination & the threats war robots bring to us (similar to nuclear technology)
Warmest regards,
Shi Xiao
Hi,
ReplyDeleteActually I have nothing much to add based on your report outline. However, can I just check with you with regards to what was mentioned in the article featured in the economist? It seems to suggest a point that I think is very relevant in today's context. U.S. routinely uses UAV drone strikes to take out hostile targets in its war against terror but these operations have also resulted in a lot of innocent civilian casualities. Should we condone such wanton use of drone attacks? I understand that you already have plans to tackle this issue but in the near future, can robots really replace humans when precision is required?
Also, I have a different view from Shi Xiao's second point (Sorry Shi Xiao!). I think ever since human's history was recorded, inequalities between militaries were already present. Therefore the inequality resulting from the usage of robot tech in militaries is not material if we just look at it as it is. Perhaps the disparity can be better explained in the context of rescue operations.
Ji Qian
Hi!
ReplyDeleteNice summary, very clear!
Adding on to Shixiao's first point, I guess you've to define robots if not the scope for your paper might be quite big.
To add on to your points, I think you can consider how robots can lead to wars too, like the current secret surveillance systems to spy on other countries which created issues when the spy plane or something got shot down.
Hope that is relevant to your paper (:
Cheers,
Wei Lin