Killer robots ready to suit up

29 August 2014 - 02:43 By Ben Farmer, ©The Daily Telegraph
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ON AUTO: 'Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines' offers a vision of a future without accountability
ON AUTO: 'Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines' offers a vision of a future without accountability
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Lethal robots programmed to open fire without human control are just a "small step" from the battlefield and military powers should agree to outlaw them, a top UN official said.

Angela Kane, the UN's high representative for disarmament, said governments should be more open about programmes to develop the technology, and she favoured a pre-emptive ban.

She said: "Any weapon of war is terrible, and if you can launch this without human intervention, I think it's even worse.

"It becomes a faceless war. I think it should be outlawed. The decision is really in the hands of the states that have the capability to develop them."

Kane said there was "a great deal of concern" about the prospect of killer robots as well as reluctance from major military powers to discuss the issue.

Last year, Alistair Burt, then a British foreign minister, said the technology had potentially "terrifying" implications, but Britain "reserves the right" to develop it to protect troops.

Kane said: "The concern relates specifically to weapons that have the capability of selecting and also attacking targets without human intervention. Who has the responsibility and who has the liability?"

The UN held its first meeting on the threat from "lethal autonomous weapons" earlier this year. Another summit is planned.

Kane said many developing countries were worried such weapons may be used on their territory, just as remotely piloted drones have been used.

"I personally believe there cannot be a weapon that can be fired without human intervention. I do not believe there should be a weapon, ever, that is not guided and where there is not the accountability clearly established."

Militaries are making increasing use of robots, from bomb disposal machines to armed remotely piloted drones carrying out missile strikes. Israel has experimented with border control robots and the US has run trials in Iraq and Afghanistan.

But an expert on military robots said all current weapons are controlled and directed by people, who make the final decision whether to fire.

Huw Williams, an editor at IHS Jane's International Defence Review, said he knew of no current programmes to make killer robots, and that even the most advanced machines had little ability to act on their own.

He said: "Autonomy at the moment is quite limited. You set the task parameters, give it waypoints and tell it to go and do x, y and z. Then the machine decides: 'How do I get from x to y to z in the most efficient manner and get things done?' But in terms of real thinking, real autonomy, then no."

While it is theoretically possible that a robot could have sensors and fire when it detected something, Williams said taking human control away had big disadvantages for commanders.

He said: "Firstly there's a real loss of control over the battlefield for commanders. Secondly, if a mistake is made there's a real problem with accountability."

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