The rise of the killer robots – and the two women fighting back
Jody Williams and Mary Wareham were leading lights in the campaign to ban landmines. Now they have autonomous weapons in their sights
by Melissa Chan in Berlin
Apr 08, 2019
4 minutes
It sounds like something from the outer reaches of science fiction: battlefield robots waging constant war, algorithms that determine who to kill, face-recognition fighting machines that can ID a target and take it out before you have time to say “Geneva conventions”.
This is no film script, however, but an ominous picture of future warfare that is moving ever closer. “Killer robots” is shorthand for a range of tech that has generals salivating and peace campaigners terrified at the ethical ramifications of warfare waged via digital proxies.
Now, two women armed with nothing more than a Nobel prize, knowhow and a lot of conviction are standing in front of
You’re reading a preview, subscribe to read more.
Start your free 30 days