Robots into battle: a good idea?

Robots like career. For example in the military. But is that really such a good idea?

Already robots are now used for various military situations .For example, a robot can serve as a spy, as carriers of explosives or supplies and as a flying sniper.

Films
Perhaps these scenarios might you last week a bit familiar. That may be true: they have often formed the basis for an exciting and somewhat unsettling Hollywood movie. Entertaining, but it raises questions in this context: combative robots are useful, but can cause undesirable situations. However, the advantages outweigh the disadvantages? And what are actually the disadvantages of a military robot?

Together strong? Photograph: American Navy.

Terrorists
expert PW Singer has undertaken extensive and in depth, the issue at a TED conference revealed. He acknowledges that robots have advantages. They can perform dangerous jobs as soldiers and guard against accidents or worse. And like a robot “perish” is for, but it’s not a disaster.

Hobbyists
But robots have disadvantages, as he concluded. So they are easy to assemble by hobbyists. Warfare in the future would no longer be reserved only for authorities with a lot of money and a large army. And service robots that could just as well by terrorists, citizens or businesses put together and used. In particular terrorists using robots quite a lot to store your recruits do not need to be convinced of an ideology. Also they do not have years to train. They can be used immediately and do what is asked of them.

Accessible
Another disadvantage is that war is more accessible.Now there are often difficult trade-offs. For example: are we risking lives for this cause? Later emotions play a subordinate role and may simply cost (literally!) should be weighed against the benefits.

Psyche
Another disadvantage concerns the psychological consequences for real soldiers. Many soldiers have been working remotely. They send robots from the U.S. example. They work twelve o’clock, and are busy with real war. Then again, they will join their family and they are again husband and / or father, the next morning in a war room. Singer points out that soldiers who work this way are more likely to have post-traumatic stress disorder than soldiers who got in the Middle East fighting. Are we people are ready for this kind of war? Can our brain does?

Soldiers during a training. Photograph: American Navy.

Mistake
Another important question is: can the robot does? Robots and computers are run down or sometimes become overheated or not the software works just as it should. In the case of your desktop PC is not a cataclysm. But in the case of an armed robot does. And even a functioning robot can make mistakes. For example, a robot can not distinguish between an innocent child and a young terrorist, simply because he has no emotions and situations not well be estimated.

Currently, robots are used worldwide for thousands. Soldiers are often praised. Of course to get used to working with such a comrade looks, but this intrepid machines saving of lives. Example by dismantling bombs or spy. And as robots are increasingly used, we also learn more about how they work and how we can put them more effectively. Companies are already working on robots that feel a lot more independent and are not necessarily controlled by a joystick need to be. Governments continue to emphasize that they want to keep in control, but who ever has encountered a crashed PC or jammed phone knows that equipment is not always let direct. That is no reason to renounce technology, but it’s certainly a reason to be cautious and when we talk about a piece of technology that drive around with bombs in his lap.

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