Killer robots which are being developed by the US military ‘will leave humans utterly defenceless‘, an academic has warned.

Two programmes commissioned by the US Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) are seeking to create drones which can track and kill targets even when out of contact with their handlers.

Writing in the journal Nature, Stuart Russell, Professor of Computer Science at the University of California, Berkley, said the research could breach the Geneva Convention and leave humanity in the hands of amoral machines.

“Autonomous weapons systems select and engage targets without human intervention; they become lethal when those targets include humans,” he said.

“Existing AI and robotics components can provide physical platforms, perception, motor control, navigation, mapping, tactical decision-making and long-term planning. They just need to be combined.
“In my view, the overriding concern should be the probable endpoint of this technological trajectory.

“Despite the limits imposed by physics, one can expect platforms deployed in the millions, the agility and lethality of which will leave humans utterly defenceless. This is not a desirable future.”

The robots, called LAWS – lethal autonomous weapons systems – are likely to be armed quadcopters of mini-tanks that can decided without human intervention who should live or die.

DARPA is currently working on two projects which could lead to killer bots. One is Fast Lightweight Autonomy (FLA) which is designing a tiny rotorcraft to manoeuvre unaided at high speed in urban areas and inside buildings. The other and Collaborative Operations in Denied Environment (CODE), is aiming to develop teams of autonomous aerial vehicles carrying out “all steps of a strike mission — find, fix, track, target, engage, assess” in situations in which enemy signal-jamming makes communication with a human commander impossible.

Last year Angela Kane, the UN’s high representative for disarmament, said killer robots were just a 'small step' away and called for a worldwide ban. But the Foreign Office has said while the technology had potentially "terrifying" implications, Britain "reserves the right" to develop it to protect troops.

They just keep on devising new ways of killing people more efficiently. The question is: who monitors the people that are supposed to monitor others?

The Americans are trying to make up for population deficit on the battle field with technology by using Robots.

Nothing can effectivetly replace humans in the battlefield,drones are causing chaos let alone robot soldier

U see these White men Which one be autonomous again

These machines may one day start eliminating humans like they did in the movie TERMINATOR. Some people are working really hard to reduce world population.

It is cool... But in the future it is either we merge man and machine or man will be at the loosing end. A fully developed AI has no big difference since both live in a virtual reality and requires energy for sustainace

How does that make it superior to African power(juju)?

Has anyone watched Ex Machina, the Americans are full steam ahead in developing Artificial Intelligence.

The Russians are 10years [Ok, maybe 3years] ahead of the Americans in Military hardwares and I'm sure they must have developed counter measures to shut down the robots.

Mother Russia Will Rise From The Ashes.

Sai Mohammadu Putin

This is dangerous to Humanity.

Good development bit dangerous to humanity! !!