Skynet is coming.

[paperburn1]

He sure did...(kirk that is)

[DeltaV]

WildCat
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wE3fmFTtP9g

Atlas
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SD6Okylclb8

[hanelyp]

Scientists, engineers and policymakers are all figuring out ways drones can be used better and more smartly, more precise and less damaging to civilians, with longer range and better staying power. One method under development is by increasing autonomy on the drone itself.

Eventually, drones may have the technical ability to make even lethal decisions autonomously: ...

http://www.defenseone.com/technology/20 ... nes/71492/
Article cites concerns about the drones being hijacked. There are easier ways to prevent that than turning them into autonomous killing machines.

[ladajo]

Why is it no-one picks up on the fact we have had lethal autonomous drones for years?
There are plenty of fire and forget weapons that will hunt down a manned target without remorse nor care.

The whole topic is silly media hype.

[Diogenes]

The whole topic is silly media hype.

Are you talking about drones in particular or the Topic thread in General?


Call me silly, but I firmly believe that when it is possible to make robots of sufficient sophistication as to be capable of doing some of the lethal work of soldiers, we will find ourselves in a dictator's paradise.

I see signs that the Military is purging sources of potential disloyalty to the regime, and expanding efforts to indoctrinate new and existing troops. How much easier would be the task of massacre if you didn't have to worry about human foibles such as compassion or uncertainty or guilt?

Super human speed and visual analysis would be a force multiplier for any Robot weapon, and they could be cranked out of factories at any desired number.

"Skynet" will be run by our new Human Overlords.

I really hope I am being silly.

[DeltaV]

Robot Shoots ‘Em Up: Army Assesses Northrop’s MADSS

[ladajo]

Call me silly, but I firmly believe that when it is possible to make robots of sufficient sophistication as to be capable of doing some of the lethal work of soldiers, we will find ourselves in a dictator's paradise.

Yes, but this is a ways off. I agree that as AI technology advances, it creates a measure of risk in misuse. I also posit that this misuse will surely occur. Where, when, and under what circumstances, is less clear. But the altruistic side of me thinks it is more likely to occur in existing extreme governance cases such as the likes of existing dictatorships. And, those that are thinly veiled such as Russia, being a prime candidate.

My comment about silliness was primarily targeting the media hype surrounding the topic of "armed drones". This is an artificiality that sells. It is in a sense Dirty Laundry, but really mostly hype. The cool photos routinely circulated are of systems that are operated by unseen humans. They are not true Robots. That said there are systems that do operate independently, and are fully capable of being armed and lethal, as well as those that currently are armed and lethal.

Seriously, how hard is it to give a system a signature, and a weapon system, and put it somewhere and set it up to engage the targeted signature? It is easy, and it is done all the time. Now how hard is it to add some mobility? Not so hard, also done all the time.

Hype I say. The reality of autonomous armed weapons systems is already with us and has been for a while. The folks writing these articles can not see the forest for the trees. They are mostly interested in what sells. And that is cool photos of "Robots" shooting guns and missiles thanks to Hollywood's marketing efforts.

[Diogenes]

Killer Robots With Automatic Rifles Could Be on the Battlefield in 5 Years

Senior Army officers attending the rodeo appeared satisfied with the robots after seeing them accurately hit targets 500 feet away, and they hope to see battle ‘bots in action within five years.

“We were hoping to see how they remotely control lethal weapons,” said Smith. “We were pleased with what we saw here. The technology is getting to be where it needs to be.”

http://www.wired.com/dangerroom/2013/10 ... ry-robots/

[Diogenes]

Smart TV from LG phones home with user’s viewing habits, USB file names

It sounds like the premise of a Philip K. Dick story, but it's not. A blogger has offered evidence that his Internet-connected television has been transmitting detailed information about his family's viewing habits, including the times and channels they watch and even the names of computer video files stored on connected USB drives.

http://arstechnica.com/security/2013/11 ... ile-names/

[DeltaV]

[choff]

Skynet is in deep denial about her parents.

http://www.infowars.com/meet-the-robot- ... s-a-robot/

[paperburn1]

http://news.cnet.com/8301-11386_3-57615 ... ar-rounds/
Popping mortar hits ,now all they need is 10 times the power and then we got something. And it looks like we are getting it.

[TDPerk]

@ ladajo

"Why is it no-one picks up on the fact we have had lethal autonomous drones for years?
There are plenty of fire and forget weapons that will hunt down a manned target without remorse nor care.

The whole topic is silly media hype."

Why is it you haven't picked up on the fact that both self-guided missiles and sensor fuzed mines, are deployed against specific targets chosen by a person, or to act from a specific area chosen by a person, where the distinction is that these autonomous drones are weapons which deploy such themselves by their own decision making tree. This is no minor distinction.

Instead of deciding a trigger should be pulled, the human is more remote from the action, and is deciding where the self-pulling trigger should be, or even merely only that it should launch, and the self-pulling trigger decides where it should hunt.

[ladajo]

where the distinction is that these autonomous drones are weapons which deploy such themselves by their own decision making tree. This is no minor distinction.

We are already there and have been for while. There are many systems that are not target specific, nor require human intervention once placed in service. Why do you not understand this? Are you familiar with the Aegis Weapons System? Are you familiar with Tomahawk Block E? Are you familiar with modern mines and mobile mines? Are you familiar with Advanced Capability Torpedoes? How about automated perimeter or point defense systems?

My point is that the hype sorrunding these systems is false hype. And furthermore, the typically shown 'hype' article systems are photos of systems that are at the very basic end of autonomous, or, more or less, remote op'd by a human if not completely, like the above Chassis mounted SAW.

Here, let me show you a pic of a system that is fully autonomous when turned on, and willing to engage anything that meets its criteria without human intervention. Oh, it has been around for decades...






And let's not forget the newest variant, SEARAM which launches its own autonomous robotic hunter killers (that can not be stopped once released, like many others...) with no human input required.

[TDPerk]

@ Ladajo

"We are already there and have been for while. There are many systems that are not target specific, nor require human intervention once placed in service. Why do you not understand this? Are you familiar with the Aegis Weapons System? Are you familiar with Tomahawk Block E? Are you familiar with modern mines and mobile mines? Are you familiar with Advanced Capability Torpedoes? How about automated perimeter or point defense systems?"

I specifically included several of these, in the category of sensor fuzed weapons. They protect specific areas, and against very carefully delimited target profiles. There won't be too many innocent aircraft coming at a carrier at a few hundred miles per hour.

It is a matter of several orders of magnitude of difference, morally and negatively so, for a drone to be given a few GPS points on a map bounding a territory and then be lofted with it having autonomy to kill anything that looks vaguely interesting, regardless of proximity to or posture towards blue forces.