Hawking Amongst People Who Call For Ban On Autonomous Weapons

Terminator, Matrix, lots of movies have the same plot, weapons which have very little or no control and they go haywire before finally taking over the world. I mean come on, even Power Rangers went and did the plot!

Now some of the biggest names in the world, Steven Hawkings and Steve Wozniak amongst them, have called for action to be taken to prevent automated weapons. That is, things like drones which match your face to a picture and then order a missile strike, all without a person pressing a single button.

Amongst the concerns raised are things such as an “AI arms race”, creating a generation of weapons which could act and expand, with everything from assassinations to terrorist acts being planned and conducted without anyone’s knowledge. While this letter stretches the definition of automated devices, the benefits exist in things such as robotics which can react to medical needs as soon as they appear.

With discussions going all the way to the United Nations, a ban on automated weapons could be getting closer. With big voices such as Steven Hawking speaking out against a danger that could end the world as we know it in a very short space of time.

Thank you Engadget for the information.

Image courtesy of BAE Systems.