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The truth is, that by advancing robotics and artificial intelligence
we are summoning a demon. We are conjuring up something that is
potentially so much more powerful than us, and we don’t even know
if we will be able to control the results
Robotics really are a threat to us, and I am not the only one who
thinks so. World-renowned scientist Professor Stephen Hawking
believes that if we don’t control the development of robotics it could
really ‘spell the end of the human race’ and I couldn’t agree more.
These robots could take off on their own, re-design themselves and
then overthrow us without a moment’s hesitation. It will be us
against them; humans, limited by our slow biological evolution. Do
you really think we won’t be superseded?
Now, whilst we are on the topic of armies of killer robots, I’m sure
whenever you think about this, which of course you all do on a daily
basis, you think many years into the future. How about today? The
US army has been given the all clear to explore the replacement of
human forces with robot ones, stating that, if they begin to see a
threat from the robots, they can just pull the plug. But really, should
we allow it to get to that stage?
Will these ‘soldiers’ have empathy and all the subtle advantages
that come with it? Will they be able to distinguish targets and use
force proportionately? Understand the difference between a man
holding a gun and a child brandishing a plastic sword? I mean these
robots are called LAR’s, lethal autonomous robots. I hear lethal and
I’m done. These robots have one sole purpose to identify, attack and
kill targets without any order given by a human. Surely giving a
machine the ability to choose who they can kill violates fundamental
human dignities. For these robots to be useful, we need to give them
the ability to make decisions but with that comes the ability to rebel.
The question you have to ask yourself is this: what is going to stop
intelligent machines from grouping together and rewiring themselves
so all the safeguards we put in to protect the human race, stopworking?
It really is as Nathan, a technology titan who has created a female
robot, said in 2015 science fiction thriller
Ex Machina
, ‘One day the
robots are going to look back on us the same way we look at fossil
skeletons on the plains of Africa. An upright ape living in dust with
crude language and tools, all set for extinction.’
‘
A Grey Future
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