Why ‘killer robots’ are becoming a real threat – and an ethics test

Nations are busy putting guns into the hands of robots.

Generals find that attractive for many reasons. Smart machines can take on the dull and dangerous work that soldiers now do, like surveillance and mine-removal, without getting bored or tired. In combat, they can reduce the costs of war, not only in terms of dollars but also in fewer human casualties.

But many governments and artificial intelligence (AI) researchers are worried. The threat at present is not that robots are so smart that they take over the world Hollywood-style. It’s that today’s robots won’t be smart enough to handle the new weapons and responsibilities they’re being given. And because of the rapid advances in AI, experts worry that the technology will soon cross a line where

What’s under wayMore ethical than humans?‘They will lower the barriers to war.’