With the war in Ukraine still ongoing, the advent of technology and war is upon us. New advances in AI and other technologies are adding to the dangers of war. With each advancement in machine learning, the fundamentals of modern warfare are changing.
New machine-learning-based weapons called “slaughter bots” have emerged with recent surges in technology. These new weapons have a range of human control from human-operated to completely autonomous. These machines can select and attack targets with no human interference, meaning life-or-death decisions will no longer be made by humans.
From this, ethical concerns have arisen regarding autonomous weapons. Should the same technology we use to unlock our phones with our faces be used to hurt others? Should artificial intelligence have the authority to make decisions regarding human lives?
This predicament could lead to an arms race similar to that in the Cold War. Leading nations are already dedicating millions to these weapons. With advances in technology already being competitive weapons based on this technology seem likely to follow. However, multiple countries have already called for a ban on these killer robots. An international treaty banning or regulating these autonomous weapons could prevent future crises, time will only tell.