Should we fear killer robots? (opinion)

Editor’s Note: Paul Scharre is a senior fellow at the Center for a New American Security and author of the forthcoming book “Army of None: Autonomous Weapons and the Future of War,” to be published in April 2018. Story highlights Paul Scharre: "Killer robots," a center point of discussion at the UN this week, could outperform humans at instant decision-making and targeting in war These weapons also have weaknesses, such as vulnerability to enemy hackers CNN — Physicist Stephen Hawking recently warned of the dangers of artificial intelligence and “powerful autonomous weapons.” Autonomous technology is racing forward, but international discussions on managing the potential risks are already underway. This week, nations enter the fourth year of international discussions at the United Nations on lethal autonomous weapons, or what some have called “killer robots.” The UN talks are oriented on future weapons, but simple automated weapons to shoot down incoming missiles have been widely used for decades. Earlier this year, Russian arms manufacturer Kalashnikov announced it was developing a “fully automated combat module” based on neural networks that could allow a weapon to “identify targets and make decisions.” Whether or not Kalashnikov’s claims are true, the underlying technology that will enable self-targeting machines is coming. Opponents of a ban have countered that autonomous weapons might be able to more precisely target the enemy and avoid civilians better than humans can, just as self-driving cars might someday make roads safer.