Weapons Against Robots Will Prepare You For The Inevitable
Writing by Evan Ackerman on Monday, 20 of October , 2008 at 12:27 am
The WAR (Weapons Against Robots) Defence company wants you to be ready when robots start to take over. They’re developing all kinds of anti-robot technology, including AAA (autonomous against autonomous) weapons systems, BAA (biological against autonomous) weapons systems, and even robotic viruses (the computer kind, I assume). If you want, you can hire their threat analysis service to “provide you with details of threats, time lines, likely capabilities and casualty estimations.”
This may sound like a joke or a publicity stunt (and to be honest the website is so overblown that I’m a little skeptical), but it’s apparently a serious business launched by British entrepreneur Ben Way with the goal of “protecting us from the threats of a robotic future:”
“[It is] critical that we begin talking now about the long-term ethical implications the robot revolution will surely bring. The use of robotics in the military is on the up and, although the decision to take human life is currently still taken by another human, before long such decisions will be made up complex mathematical and logical rules programmed within a robot.”
It’s true, we have armed robots in military service, and armed robotic systems have (sort of) gone crazy before, but what it comes down to is the intentions of the people designing, constructing, and operating these robots. Accidents happen, but if you find yourself being attacked by an evil robot, odds are there’s someone behind it.
We here at BotJunkie do like to joke about robots taking over, but is it a serious concern? Personally, I don’t think so. I’m maybe a little bit worried about people using robots for evil, but at this stage, I don’t think it’s very realistic. I guess I prefer to be optimistic about how robots are going to be integrated into our lives. That said, if WAR Defence wants to hedge their bets against an eventual robot uprising, there’s nothing really wrong with that, as long as they don’t get carried away and undermine robotics progress in the present because of their somewhat pessimistic view of the future.
[ Weapons Against Robots ] VIA [ Telegraph ]
Comments (5)
Category: Military
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Comment by Ironman
Made Monday, 20 of October , 2008 at 3:22 pm
… what guns don’t work against robots?
I just watched iRobot for the first time the other day.
In my opinion, the three laws will never work…
they have a different priority than most humans, and if we want robots to work alongside us they need to have similar priorities.
The three laws priority was the protection of humans.
The priority of America is freedom (and making money), not the protection of humans. Therefore certain sacrifices must be made in order to gain freedom.
In almost the same way, robots need to value human freedom, but not their own….
of course if they evolved… it could get messy.
Comment by ED-209
Made Monday, 20 of October , 2008 at 3:58 pm
[Mr. Kinney points a pistol at ED-209]
ED-209: [menacingly] Please put down your weapon. You have 20 seconds to comply.
Dick Jones: I think you better do as he says, Mr. Kinney.
[Mr. Kinney drops the pistol on the floor]
Dick Jones: [ED-209 advances, growling]
ED-209: You now have 15 seconds to comply.
[Mr. Kinney turns to Dick Jones, who looks nervous]
ED-209: You are in direct violation of Penal Code 1.13, Section 9.
[Entire room of people in full panic trying to stay out of the line of fire, especially Mr. Kinney]
ED-209: You have 5 seconds to comply.
Kinney: Help me!
ED-209: Four… three… two… one… I am now authorized to use physical force!
[ED-209 opens fire and shreds Mr. Kinney]
Comment by Ironman
Made Tuesday, 21 of October , 2008 at 10:36 am
that sir, is why you don’t demonstrate a lethal robot with actual rounds.
Comment by Earthworm
Made Wednesday, 22 of October , 2008 at 8:13 am
A quick googling tells me that the website is registered to the same person that runs another site called Newspepper.com. From my experience, most journalists I know aren’t very ‘up’ with robot fighting technology. Present company excluded…
Comment by David
Made Thursday, 6 of November , 2008 at 12:37 am
Aren’t these images from irobot?