Ethical Killing Machines 785
ubermiester writes "The New York Times reports on research to develop autonomous battlefield robots that would 'behave more ethically in the battlefield than humans.' The researchers claim that these real-life terminators 'can be designed without an instinct for self-preservation and, as a result, no tendency to lash out in fear. They can be built without anger or recklessness ... and they can be made invulnerable to ... "scenario fulfillment," which causes people to absorb new information more easily if it agrees with their pre-existing ideas.' Based on a recent report stating that 'fewer than half of soldiers and marines serving in Iraq said that noncombatants should be treated with dignity and respect, and 17 percent said all civilians should be treated as insurgents,' this might not be all that dumb an idea."
I for one welcome... (Score:5, Funny)
Frist Post? (Score:3, Funny)
Oblig. Simpsons quote (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Oblig. Futurama quote (Score:3, Funny)
Bite my shiny metal ass.
Re:Humane wars (Score:4, Funny)
How about we just go all the way and have computer simulated battles. When the damage and casualty reports come in we can just have people in those areas report for termination and dynamite the areas affected.
In other news, a ship in orbit was just marked as destroyed. Its representatives will be disposed of and as soon as the rest come down they will be disposed of as well.
Re:I for one welcome... (Score:5, Funny)
...need I say more?
Yes! It's ambiguous as is. Which were you going to go with?
1. Our ethical killer-robot overlords /. who aren't Simpsons fans and don't get this joke
2. Our more-benevolent-than-a-human killing machinev overlords
3. The impending terminator/matrix/MD geist/1000 other sci-fi themed apocalypse
4. Users who are new to
5. Our new ant overlords, since there is no stopping them even with our new murder-bots
Two words (Score:4, Funny)
Fatal Error.
Clippy? (Score:5, Funny)
Would you like me to:
1. Call in airstrike
2. Fire machinegun
3. Wave white flag
Re:Humane wars (Score:3, Funny)
Automated killing machines were banned at the Geneva convention. This is generally a good thing when we're sending real, live humans (versus the walking undead) to fight our wars.
I don't care what the Geneva convention says!
As soon as my ritual circle is completed, the dead will rise from their graves and destroooy yooouu! And then your dead soldiers will rise again and take up arms against their former companions!!! THE WORLD WILL BE MINE!!! MUAHAHAHA!!!
Sorry... couldn't help myself...
Re:And a toddler wanders into your field of fire. (Score:5, Funny)
Re:Ethical vs Moral (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Interesting... (Score:4, Funny)
It's not really war unless people die. If people don't die, why would they stop doing whatever it is for which people are "fighting" against them?
Robots blowing up robots is (expensive) entertainment, not war.
I can imagine ... (Score:1, Funny)
KillerBot> Awaiting orders, mister President.
President> Your goal is to kill the terrorists.
KillerBot> Need data about terrorist recognition.
President> They are wicked individuals who will use any means to bring terror to the population for their political agenda.
KillerBot> Order acknowledged. Starting mision.
President> Oh, I almost forgot, they also have long bear... (bang !)
Re:Ethical vs Moral (Score:5, Funny)
Something that can't be unethical or ethical is probably going to be more ethical than something that is unethical. In other words, if robots are neutral and humans are either evil or good, neutral is more good than evil.
It depends on if they are lawful neutral, chaotic neutral, or true neutral.
Re:Do they run vista? (Score:5, Funny)
If that same individual has a platoon of robots instead, the villagers are dead as soon as the order is issued.
That's why Dr. Soong worked so hard on that ethical program that was lacking in his first model android.... ;)
Re:I can imagine ... (Score:3, Funny)
Do you live in a society without Money? (Score:2, Funny)
How did you know I was from Iceland? ;-)
Re:Do they run vista? (Score:4, Funny)
and thats why you should never release beta products to the public.
Re:Do they run vista? (Score:3, Funny)
Extreme prejudice.
Extreme prejudice.
Clear visual signals and Extreme Prejudice.
If...if...if...elif: Extreme Prejudice.
Re:Do they run vista? (Score:3, Funny)
That's okay, we'll just send wave after wave of our own men against them...
Re:Do they run vista? (Score:3, Funny)
"The machines aren't inherently good or inherently evil...
Except one dimensional, bread obsessed talking toasters.
Re:Do they run vista? (Score:3, Funny)
"...In a cross-border comparison for the year 2000, Statistics Canada says the risk of firearms death was more than three times as great for Canadian males as for American males and seven times as great for Canadian females as for American females.
Because more of the U.S. deaths were suicides or accidental deaths (as opposed to homicides), the U.S. rate of gun homicide was nearly eight times less than Canada's, the agency says. Homicides accounted for 38 per cent of deaths involving guns in the United States and 300 per cent in Canada."
(cur) (last) 19:26, 7 October 2008 Saint9016 (Talk | contribs) (6,147 bytes) (Fixed statistics to conform with my ideas) (undo)
Re:Do they run vista? (Score:4, Funny)
People who quote Sherman's "war is hell" to justify wartime atrocities really ought to think about the full quote:
I am tired and sick of war. Its glory is all moonshine. It is only those who have neither fired a shot nor heard the shrieks and groans of the wounded who cry aloud for blood, for vengeance, for desolation. War is hell.
Uncle Billy had the 101st Fighting Keyboarders crowd much nailed, I'd say.
Re:Do they run vista? (Score:4, Funny)
Soldiers rape - without being given orders. Robots won't unless specifically programmed to rape - AND built with sexual organs (which would be a give away that a nation *planned* sexual assault to be part of its soldiering. Currently, nations can just blame the lowly soldiers for acting out of line).
Half the world's population will consider the decline of rape in war to be a big improvement. The other half may not realise how extensive it is.
I wonder... (Score:2, Funny)