Pentagon To Send Robot Soldiers to Iraq

conJunk points out this AP story carried by Salon (also covered by various sources linked from Google News) "about the Pentagon's plan to send robot soldiers to Iraq in March or April. The program, Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection Systems, uses Foster-Miller TALON robots, and is said to be "years ahead of the larger Future Combat System vehicles currently under development by big defense contractors such as Lockheed Martin and General Dynamics Corp." If it's successful, maybe our men and women in uniform will have to team up with the United Auto Workers to fight the robo-threat to their jobs." Note that (whatever other considerations you might have about such deployment), the Rules of Robotics that some readers have linked to don't really apply to remote-controlled drones, which is what these are.

Bush is no redneck.

[Anonymous Coward]

Bush is not a hick, he's from Connecticut. He's a prep school boy, went to Yale, Skull & Bones... make no mistake, this guy is part of the ruling class.

Re:obligatory.

[MikeXpop]

When will we learn that all humans are equally inferior to robots?

Somewhat misleading intro.

[EinarH]

..and is said to be "years ahead of the larger Future Combat System vehicles currently under development[..]

and

..the Rules of Robotics that some readers have linked to don't really apply to remote-controlled drones, which is what these are.[..]

The systems in development by the big companies are different on so many levels that it's hard to compare them. Not to negate the accomplishment by the SWORDS Team but LM and others are aiming for more advanced systems. (This robot is more of a solution to the current problems in Iraq than a future system to replace existing systems. It's a add on to existing capabilities.)
For example this system is remotly controlled at the infantry level out in the field by an operator that controlls the movement, behavior, offensive opperations etc according to the Rules of Engagement.
The big corps strayegy and the DOD think tanks on the other hand belive that futore robots, weapon platforms, systems needs to be more independent and able to operate autonomously.
The prime example here is the Unmanned Combat Armed Rotorcraft (currently on hold for budget issues?). The goal is to connect it to other units through the FCS and make it possible for it to operate without a base station with a controll crew. With the UCAR taking care of target indentification, engagement, movement and BDA there will still be a man in the loop to authorize weapon release. The DOD uses a "rating system" to describe the level of ability to operate autonomously. Level 3 and 4 is where most of the currect UAV are and I think this robot if it can be classified under the same system would be placed. AFAIK the UCAR will be level 6. (?)

As the systems becomes more advanced with more sensors, "better AI", social understanding, more network sharing etc. the man in the loop will become somewhat irrelevant and reduntant as his information will come from the systems ability to indentify the opponent. Imagine if this robot in the future is stationed in Falluja and is tracking down some Freedom fighters| guerillas|terrorists|insurgents|civilians inside a building. Since there will be some delay between the operator and the robot it will be tempting to just "leave it to the robot to decide" aka "send the robot into the building and let him take care of it". Operating a M240 can be done much faster without a man in the loop. With IR, X-RAY, optical, laser, NV etc the robots can (in the future) track down the enemy much more efficently without the operator delay.

So in the future I think the Military-Industrial Complex will seek to make robots that will violate all the three Laws of Robotics.

Re:Ummmm....

[kid-noodle]

For Asimovian robots, the Three Laws, are implicit in the construction of the positronic brain - the mathematical etc. frameworks that what we refer to as the Three Laws consist of are the basis of all robot brains. So the assumption is that you simply can't design a brain which doesn't include them, without starting over again and constructing a whole new sort of mathematics to do it with.

However this applies only to Asimovian robots.

Re:obligatory.

[Fjandr]

Perhaps you've never spent any time in Connecticut. There are rednecks everywhere.

That said, he was raised in Texas from age 2. Just because you were born somewhere doesn't mean you're from that location.

The Power of Nightmares

[TheMESMERIC]

Clearly your Leaders are looking for more wars to keep the population frightened and at the same time perversely entertained.

The "mob" needs such psychological reigning.

While Michael Moore is disputed by some of having dubious journalistic skills - there is a fundamental piece of very intelligent journalism I serious hope the whole world and America gets to watch:

The Power of Nightmares. [bbc.co.uk]

It's time people wake up to the facts and start thinking to themselves. But no "the mob" loves to have someone else to feed them "thoughts".

So many innocent people died, so many peasants and their families are still being tortured - because the coalition forces had to blame something / someone - even if a ghost who was never there.

Understand that America and Great Britain (and the accomplices) have too much innocent blood in their hands. Ha! But what changes? It's always been the same.

Naivity is the greatest evil of all - cos it readily accepts lies as truths .. take for instance that grinning clown Tony Blair. What a dork.

Re:The Iraqis, for one....

[jeff.m.hopkins]

Terrorism: The unlawful use or threatened use of force or violence by a person or an organized group against people or property with the intention of intimidating or coercing societies or governments, often for ideological or political reasons. http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=Terrorism The attack on the Pentagon was meant to intimidate our society. It was also for ideologicl reasons. I would condsider the attack to be both a Terrorist attack and a millitary attack, there is not a rule anyware that says that an attack has have one classification.

Re:obligatory.

[mizhi]

That's the entymology of the word, but the meaning as generalized as time has moved on. Sort of how gay evolved from meaning happy and joyful to referring to homosexuals.

Re:Bush is no redneck.

[jallen02]

See here:
Encarta [msn.com]

Search for the text "1978" and it takes you right to his 1978 house of representatives run. I have read about this from multiple sources, and this link is encarta. Seems credible enough to me.

Jeremy