The authoritative guide to ensuring science and technology make life on Earth better, not worse.

Search results for autonomous weapon

397px-HMS_Daring_(D32)_Phalanx_CIWS.jpg

The struggle to ban killer robots

The campaign against lethal autonomous weapons is making progress, but to succeed it will have to answer some questions, including: What distinguishes killer software from non-killer software?

Ban killer robots? How about defining them first?

There's a lot of talk about regulating autonomous weapons, but thoughtful, effective policy will be difficult to make if we can’t even agree on what they are

Manifestos and open letters: Back to the future?

Why UN discussions on the management of lethal autonomous weapons need greater participation by the scientific and research communities and representatives of the private sector. Statements of alarm are not enough.

Illustration by Matt Field. Based in part on photos by gloucester2gaza and Julian Hertzog via Wikimedia Commons. CY BY-SA 2.0 / CC BY 4.0. Stylized.

Top US Army official: Build AI weapons first, then design safety

A top US Army official advocates for lethal autonomous weapons.
Illustration by Matt Field. Based in part on photos by gloucester2gaza and Julian Hertzog via Wikimedia Commons. CY BY-SA 2.0 / CC BY 4.0. Stylized.

The United Nations and the future of warfare

The United Nations has debated whether to ban lethal autonomous weapons for years now. As countries make rapid progress in the autonomous capabilities of weapons systems, will any ban be too late to prevent these weapons from being used at borders or in war?
The Sea Hunter, an autonomous ship.

Killer robots reconsidered: Could AI weapons actually cut collateral damage?

Although activists are calling for an international ban on lethal autonomous weapons, incorporating AI into weapons systems may make them more accurate and result in fewer civilian casualties during war.
james-pond-191266-unsplash.jpg

To kill killer robots, a brief boycott

If your university partners with a defense contractor to research autonomous weapons, do not expect AI researchers to sit still for it.
COVID-19 vaccination in Moscow.

Dog catchers, drone swarms, anti-vaxxers, gain of function, and more: Some of our best 2021 disruptive tech stories

The Bulletin produced a lot of great coverage of biosecurity, lethal autonomous weapons, and more. Take a look at some of our best disruptive technology stories of the year.

Semi-autonomous and on their own: Killer robots in Plato’s Cave

To forestall threats from future killer robots, don’t ignore today’s “semi-autonomous” weapons
The Russian Uran-9 is an armed robot. Credit: Dmitriy Fomin via Wikimedia Commons. CC BY 2.0.

In Syria, Russia found the chance to showcase its swagger–and its robot weapons

The Syrian civil war gave Russia the chance to test and purportedly improve its robotic and autonomous weapons. Weapons makers showcased some of their products at a recent convention in Moscow.
Demonstrators call on countries to ban killer robots

The United States should drop its opposition to a killer robot treaty

Active US engagement in negotiating a relatively modest treaty offers the best hope for mitigating the humanitarian risks of autonomous weapons.
A loitering munition.

Russia may have used a killer robot in Ukraine. Now what?

If open-source analysts are right, a loitering munition capable of using AI to pick a target--a killer robot--was used in the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Autonomous weapons using artificial intelligence are here. And what’s more, the technology is proliferating fast.
Kargu drone test.

If a killer robot were used, would we know?

After a recent UN report suggested that a Turkish-made Kargu-2 had autonomously hunted down retreating troops in Libya, numerous media outlets devoted coverage to the issue of so-called lethal autonomous weapons. But much of the coverage misses an important point: It will be extremely difficult to verify if and when such a weapon is used.

One nuclear-armed Poseidon torpedo could decimate a coastal city. Russia wants 30 of them.

Russia's nuclear-armed autonomous torpedoes Poseidon may never be used. But they may still provoke uncertainty, speculation, and fear.
nuclear football

Giving an AI control of nuclear weapons: What could possibly go wrong?

If an autonomous nuclear weapon concluded with 99 percent confidence a nuclear war is about to begin, should it fire?
US Army soldiers walking in Syria

Listen up, UN: Soldiers aren’t fans of killer robots

Surprisingly, people serving in the US military are less likely than the general public to support using unmanned vehicles in military operations, even when doing so could save soldiers’ lives.
A promotional video about autonomous weaponized drone.

Was a flying killer robot used in Libya? Quite possibly

The Turkish made Kargu-2 drone can operate in autonomous mode and may have been used to attack retreating soldiers fighting against the UN-recognized government in Libya. There's an ongoing global debate about these sorts of weapons, and the Kargu-2 is evidence that it's happening none too soon.