Campaign asks for international treaty to limit war robots

[Soylent Brice]

A robotics expert, a physicist, a bioethicist and a philosopher have founded the International Committee for Robot Arms Control (ICRAC) to campaign for limits on robotic military hardware.

Roboticist Noel Sharkey at the University of Sheffield, UK, and his colleagues set up ICRAC after a two-day meeting in Sheffield earlier this month. Sharkey has spoken before of ethical concerns about military systems that make their own decisions.

"Robot weapons are likely to change the character of warfare," Sharkey told New Scientist. "We seem to be rushing headlong into the development of autonomous weapons systems without any real concern for the long-term impact on civilian populations."

*snip*

Among the most advanced military robots are Talons – small tractor-mounted units with chemical, temperature and radiation sensors that can also carry grenade launchers, machine guns and 50-calibre rifles.

read more: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn17887-campaign-asks-for-international-treaty-to-limit-war-robots.html



i had never heard of these before, so i did a quick search and here's what i found:

TALON Small Mobile Robot

TALON is a powerful, lightweight, versatile robot designed for missions ranging from reconnaissance to weapons delivery. Its large, quick-release cargo bay accommodates a variety of sensor payloads, making TALON a onerobot solution to a variety of mission requirements. Built with all-weather, day/night and amphibious capabilities standard, TALON can operate under the most adverse conditions to overcome almost any terrain. The suitcase-portable robot is controlled through a two-way RF or F/O line from a portable or wearable Operator Control Unit (OCU) that provides continuous data and video feedback for precise vehicle positioning.

Built with all-weather, day/night and amphibious capabilities standard, TALON can operate under the most adverse conditions to overcome almost any terrain. The portable robot is controlled through either a two-way RF or F/O line from a portable or wearable Operator Control Unit (OCU) that provides continuous data and video feedback for precise vehicle positioning.

TALON’s payload and sensor options include: multiple cameras (color, black and white, infrared, thermal, zero light), a two-stage arm, gripper manipulators, pan/tilt, two-way communications, NBC (nuclear/biological/chemical) sensors, radiation sensors, UXO/countermine detection sensors, grenade and smoke placing modules, breaching tools, communications equipment, distracters and disrupters.

images:











um... wow.
money for war, never to heal.

[YOY]

1. That thing with the 4 barrels is straight out of a nightmare.

Something tells me the cost effectiveness of these is not very good. Most likely one good rocket propelled grenade and the thing is one giant waste of cash.

[Soylent Brice]

6. i understand the intent

sending robots decreases casualties on our side. but then you have to worry about two huge things,

collateral damage resulting in massive civilian casualties
and the obvious money pit that they are.



unreal.

[YOY]

8. It also scares the shit out of folks.

What's killing you isn't even human. It moves faster and makes no judgement calls. It's also a form of psyops IMHO.

Still...they totally are a money pit.

[el_bryanto]

9. When you say money pit, you mean they can't be made workable?

Bryant

[YOY]

11. Sure they can be workable...but the cost effectiveness building one versus say...

training some guy to use similar equipment. Totally not cost effective...unless you are talking a huge number of the things for an economies of scale thing.

[Ozymanithrax]

2. When you can go to war and limit the cost to your citizens, war becomes much easier.

It is not the impact on civilians but the impact on the liklihood of war that I see as the problem.

Countries that send their young off to die too often and too easily will suffer the wrath of citizens. If all it costs in money and resources, nobody cares.

[Echo In Light]

3. Rec

[Ezlivin]

4. When they have a Blue Screen of Death we all die

And there's no Undo for that.

[Romulox]

5. It's more realistic to ban war. nt

[Soylent Brice]

7. BINGO BANGO

[RaleighNCDUer]

10. Didn't I see those machines in 'Terminator 3'?

I know - not a good reference, since I'm the only person I know who saw it.

[Uncle Joe]

12. The world needs a treaty on war robots or this will lead us to World War III.

Waging war will become all the easier for weak, corrupted political "leaders" when they don't have to answer for domestic casualties here at home, that will create a "clean war" illusion dynamic. The corporate media will lap that myth up like thirsty French Poodles, no disrespect intended against French Poodles.

The war robot military industrial complex will grow by power and wealth enabling them with a greater ability to bribe/lobby a future Congress, and increasingly purchase feel good commercials; mom, apple pie, the flag and war robots, which create another adverse self perpetuating dynamic against humanity.

These two dynamics can only lead to even easier uses of force against foreign nations which in turn will increasingly feed resentment against the U.S. or war robot wielding nation, increasing the motivation for acts of terror to occur.

Even if all the terrorists were snuffed out; a highly unlikely scenario, the war robot military industrial complex would have an ever greater ability to bribe/lobby the Congress for domestic crime fighting robots. The bribed Congress and commercial bought and paid for lapdog corporate media would magnify incidents of crimes as a means of justifying passing increasingly draconian laws against the people to feed the need for more crime fighting or war robot business.

In short it's a direct flight to hell without having to take the road.

Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread, Soylent Brice.

[Odin2005]

13. That's not gonna happen.

Loosing a machine is better than loosing human beings.