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Thesunsetsblueonmars t1_isvxkl1 wrote

Give it 15 years before wealthy folks have these patrolling their front lawns

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BryceSchafer t1_isvz01w wrote

Well, you see, military application and civil defense applications are completely different~

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Zestyclose-Spinach78 t1_isw0pfl wrote

Ukrainian soldiers are turning consumer drones into formidable weapons of war...https://observers.france24.com/en/europe/20220808-ukraine-russia-modified-commercial-drones-battlefield-donations-weapons

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BryceSchafer t1_isw12sj wrote

Yeah certainly, I thought the italics would do a good job of turning the tilde into a future-moneyman’s mustache twirl

I’ll tell ya: my cousins have turned several RC cars into weapons of war; my shins can tell you: where there’s a will there’s a way

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Gagarin1961 t1_iswcbr3 wrote

In the end, our enemies will just develop them anyway, and their use will be necessary to defend against senseless aggression.

I’m not even sure this letter is a good idea. I really don’t want Russian/Chinese robots marching over all of Europe and/or Taiwan.

I can get not wanting to be the first to use them, but outright promising never to build them? Practically irresponsible.

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jezra t1_isy7lbt wrote

TIL the Oakland California police department is "our enemy"

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ronflair t1_isw476j wrote

How did that work out with the nascent aviation industry during the early 20th century?

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numba1cyberwarrior t1_iswv63m wrote

This is stupid, its like saying you dont want to use airplanes for war.

Your never going to suppress technology especially technology for people to kill each other.

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tonymmorley OP t1_iswvt4o wrote

Do all countries have nuclear weapons?

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numba1cyberwarrior t1_iswwvax wrote

No because these are strategic level weapons where a single one of them can cause mass destruction. Thus countries try to prevent each other from getting them.

If tomorrow the US told the world that you cant make drones everyone would give them a middle finger. Its like saying you cant make guns, cant make jets, or cant make tanks.

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Molnan t1_iswy8yo wrote

The only thing stopping some countries from having nuclear weapons is other countries with nuclear weapons. Maybe not all countries will have killer drones, but some probably will. Yes, in theory you could use nuclear blackmail to enforce a global ban on killer drones, for a while, but at some point someone will call the bluff. Nuclear weapons are just too blunt as a pressure tool, and military drones make too much sense to stay banned for long, being so versatile and precise in avoiding civilian casualties, especially compared to nuclear weapons.

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QuestionableAI t1_isz5j1f wrote

Oh my sweet summer's child.

No human ever met a weapon they would not use, modify, and use again.

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tonymmorley OP t1_isvrufv wrote

>"Yesterday, six companies that build or support sophisticated mobile robots (led by Boston Dynamics) published an open letter to the robotics community and industry pledging to not weaponize their general-purpose robots. Signed by Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Clearpath Robotics, Open Robotics, and Unitree, in addition to Boston Dynamics, the letter seeks to ensure that the companies’ robots are used safely and ethically, in a way that helps rather than harms."

Weaponizing advanced robotic systems is a little talked discussed global risk; one that increases the risk of flash points and rapid escalations. It's a risk that needs to be carefully managed to reduce a robotic military arms race, one that is already well underway.

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krumpdawg t1_iswer1b wrote

So militarized robots for military purposes. What's the big deal here?

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Thesunsetsblueonmars t1_it0g4m0 wrote

IMO this tech is making it only easier to kill people. That’s… a bad thing right?

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FuturologyBot t1_isvwa7c wrote

The following submission statement was provided by /u/tonymmorley:

>"Yesterday, six companies that build or support sophisticated mobile robots (led by Boston Dynamics) published an open letter to the robotics community and industry pledging to not weaponize their general-purpose robots. Signed by Agility Robotics, ANYbotics, Clearpath Robotics, Open Robotics, and Unitree, in addition to Boston Dynamics, the letter seeks to ensure that the companies’ robots are used safely and ethically, in a way that helps rather than harms."

Weaponizing advanced robotic systems is a little talked discussed global risk; one that increases the risk of flash points and rapid escalations. It's a risk that needs to be carefully managed to reduce a robotic military arms race, one that is already well underway.

Please reply to OP's comment here: https://old.reddit.com/r/Futurology/comments/y7p10i/weaponized_robots_letter_calls_for_policy_tech/isvrufv/

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Hades_adhbik t1_isxlmap wrote

I'm 100% for augmenting our military with every ounce of technological innovation we have, but it should only be used for military global security purposes. Like how individuals have no reason to own a tank.

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FlounderOdd7234 t1_isxvtbg wrote

Our enemies will accomplish and continue to use them. It’s a great idea, domestically, personally don’t think it will work. Someone will reverse engineer them

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jezra t1_isy7yh1 wrote

100% irrelevant.

Once the robot is sold, those manufacturers have zero control over what the purchaser does with the robot.

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Thesunsetsblueonmars t1_it0ga8d wrote

That’s why regulations could limit what people do when they buy these things. Super relevant

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