The Naked Scientists
  • Login
  • Register
  • Podcasts
      • The Naked Scientists
      • eLife
      • Naked Genetics
      • Naked Astronomy
      • In short
      • Naked Neuroscience
      • Ask! The Naked Scientists
      • Question of the Week
      • Archive
      • Video
      • SUBSCRIBE to our Podcasts
  • Articles
      • Science News
      • Features
      • Interviews
      • Answers to Science Questions
  • Get Naked
      • Donate
      • Do an Experiment
      • Science Forum
      • Ask a Question
  • About
      • Meet the team
      • Our Sponsors
      • Site Map
      • Contact us

User menu

  • Login
  • Register
  • Home
  • Help
  • Search
  • Tags
  • Member Map
  • Recent Topics
  • Login
  • Register
  1. Naked Science Forum
  2. Non Life Sciences
  3. Technology
  4. Is it a "slippery slope" to design drones to kill people?
« previous next »
  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Down

Is it a "slippery slope" to design drones to kill people?

  • 9 Replies
  • 5831 Views
  • 4 Tags

0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.

Offline CliffordK (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 6408
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 15 times
  • Site Moderator
    • View Profile
Is it a "slippery slope" to design drones to kill people?
« on: 26/05/2011 02:03:18 »
As we all know, the US Government is now using unmanned drones to kill people in Afghanistan and Pakistan. 

Is it a slippery slope to design drones to kill people?

I believe they are currently remote controlled, but the next logical step would be to design autonomous drones (we are already using semi-autonomous rovers for planetary exploration).

Is TERMINATOR Next?

I suppose part of the question is related to another question whether silicone based life was possible.  I have no doubt that by the end of this century Artificial Intelligence (AI) will have progressed to the point where it will meet many of the characteristics of life itself.  At which point it might be a very bad idea to teach machines and computers how to kill people, and perhaps making judgement calls on the termination of human life.
« Last Edit: 15/08/2017 08:40:02 by chris »
Logged
 



Offline Geezer

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 8314
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 7 times
  • "Vive la résistance!"
    • View Profile
Re: Is it a "slippery slope" to design drones to kill people?
« Reply #1 on: 26/05/2011 08:12:35 »
I think we started down the slippery slope as soon as somebody figured out they could not only use the spear they had manufactured to hunt game, but they could also use it to take out the competition. By that criterion, we've been on the slippery slope for quite a long time.

Logged
There ain'ta no sanity clause, and there ain'ta no centrifugal force æther.
 

Offline CliffordK (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 6408
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 15 times
  • Site Moderator
    • View Profile
Re: Is it a "slippery slope" to design drones to kill people?
« Reply #2 on: 26/05/2011 11:30:40 »
But...
Isn't it at least cheating a bit when the person actually flying the plane is sitting in a concrete bunker in a completely inaccessible location. 
We can strike at them.
But they can't strike back at us.

Of course the risk is that if the terrorists ever get a hold of our most powerful weapons, then we are in big trouble.
Logged
 

Offline imatfaal

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 2782
  • Activity:
    0%
  • rouge moderator
    • View Profile
Re: Is it a "slippery slope" to design drones to kill people?
« Reply #3 on: 26/05/2011 11:55:07 »
Having spoken to my father's friends and my uncles who all saw active service in the WWII and lost various bits - this is the sort of cheating that any sensible person would grasp with both hands.

The use of autonomous drones would be another step ...  But all in all slippery slope / floodgates arguments are logically flawed.
Logged
There’s no sense in being precise when you don’t even know what you’re talking about.  John Von Neumann

At the surface, we may appear as intellects, helpful people, friendly staff or protectors of the interwebs. Deep down inside, we're all trolls. CaptainPanic @ sf.n
 

Offline peppercorn

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 1466
  • Activity:
    0%
    • View Profile
    • solar
Re: Is it a "slippery slope" to design drones to kill people?
« Reply #4 on: 26/05/2011 17:03:38 »
War has always been a technology race.

I see no difference in this against say F-16s against homemade-RPGs. For all intents and purposes, the guy in the F-16 is at practically no greater risk (from the enemy, not malfunction) than the guy in the bunker.

Shouldn't the question be "Who's policing the use of weapons?" Especially in the cases of one side having far more cash (and therefore tech.) to throw at a conflict or civil war - I'm thinking Israel/Palestine as a prime example.
Logged
Quasi-critical-thinker
 



Offline Bored chemist

  • Naked Science Forum GOD!
  • *******
  • 16233
  • Activity:
    100%
  • Thanked: 371 times
    • View Profile
Re: Is it a "slippery slope" to design drones to kill people?
« Reply #5 on: 26/05/2011 19:20:31 »
Just a thought, what happens when both sides have these sort of weapons?
Will the "soldiers" be the only ones who are not at risk of being killed?
I might have to join the army.
Logged
Please disregard all previous signatures.
 

Offline CliffordK (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 6408
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 15 times
  • Site Moderator
    • View Profile
Re: Is it a "slippery slope" to design drones to kill people?
« Reply #6 on: 26/05/2011 20:51:43 »
Quote from: Bored chemist on 26/05/2011 19:20:31
Just a thought, what happens when both sides have these sort of weapons?
Will the "soldiers" be the only ones who are not at risk of being killed?
I might have to join the army.

I was thinking that if one could make an autonomous drone with the technology to create or steal its own supplies....  it would be a wicked terrorist weapon.  But, that has been the plot of many sci-fi movies. Autonomous drone released & hunts and kills forever.

We are very close to that technology today, although most of the terrorist organizations don't currently have the resources to pull it off.

I suppose ICBMs are old technology, and would be just as lethal in the hands of a terrorist organization, but still out of their reach.
Logged
 

Offline peppercorn

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 1466
  • Activity:
    0%
    • View Profile
    • solar
Re: Is it a "slippery slope" to design drones to kill people?
« Reply #7 on: 26/05/2011 22:21:30 »
I'm thinking 2nd-hand ICBMs are still relatively expensive [;D]  At least they were last time I checked! [;)]
Also there's a fair bit of infrastructure-cost for an ICBM I believe.

BTW if the army have 'drones' (as BC implies), does that leave the Air-Force out of a job in the long-run?
Logged
Quasi-critical-thinker
 

Offline CliffordK (OP)

  • Naked Science Forum King!
  • ******
  • 6408
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 15 times
  • Site Moderator
    • View Profile
Re: Is it a "slippery slope" to design drones to kill people?
« Reply #8 on: 27/05/2011 00:02:38 »
Quote from: peppercorn on 26/05/2011 22:21:30
BTW if the army have 'drones' (as BC implies), does that leave the Air-Force out of a job in the long-run?

Army was probably intended as "Armed Forces".

Obviously both the Air Force and the Navy both have planes of various types.  I assume the army and marines maintain troop transports, but I don't know what the actual division of forces is.

As far as infrastructure for ICBMs.  There are obviously truck and rail mounted missiles, as well as underground silos. They are often sub mounted, but could easily be mounted in a ship too.  The infrastructure would be in the development, production, and testing of the missiles which would likely require government support.  However, there would be extensive overlap between military ICBMs and civilian rocketry and satellites which would also mean that a lot of information is available.
« Last Edit: 27/05/2011 00:10:54 by CliffordK »
Logged
 



Offline Professor Mega-Mind

  • Hero Member
  • *****
  • 589
  • Activity:
    0%
  • Thanked: 1 times
  • Naked Science Forum Newbie
    • View Profile
Re: Is it a "slippery slope" to design drones to kill people?
« Reply #9 on: 12/09/2018 12:10:21 »
These things are nose-wipe compared to what is about to hit !  Try battle-bugs that pop up out of the dirt , vibrate their sharp edges to dive into your flesh , and head right for your brain !  If you're lucky, they may just inject you with a high potency poison , like polonium . At least you'll be able to think about what's happening to you , although you'll convulse to death either way.  These might also become popular amongst the grudge-bearing crowd
 Could be worse than the hateful cook , or the psycho firebug !
 Anyhoo , got to hustle back to my bomb shelter , nuclear terrorism coming !...................................P.M.
 
Logged
 



  • Print
Pages: [1]   Go Up
« previous next »
Tags: drones  / artificial intelligence  / terminator  / end of the world scenario 
 

Similar topics (5)

Why will the same situation cause some people to choose a fight response and other to choose a flight response?

Started by thedocBoard Physiology & Medicine

Replies: 1
Views: 2871
Last post 08/08/2016 23:31:55
by evan_au
Why Do People Wave at and Wave From Boats ?

Started by neilepBoard Physiology & Medicine

Replies: 5
Views: 9833
Last post 14/07/2018 09:20:33
by Colin2B
Why are more people right handed than left handed?

Started by thedocBoard Physiology & Medicine

Replies: 4
Views: 5492
Last post 12/01/2018 07:12:19
by Monox D. I-Fly
Why do people with brown hair have brown eyes?

Started by Dana LippstreuBoard Plant Sciences, Zoology & Evolution

Replies: 5
Views: 9500
Last post 19/02/2009 10:30:11
by lyner
Why Are Some People Short-sighted and others Long Sighted ?

Started by neilepBoard Physiology & Medicine

Replies: 7
Views: 7005
Last post 21/10/2018 15:56:56
by Catastrophe
There was an error while thanking
Thanking...
  • SMF 2.0.15 | SMF © 2017, Simple Machines
    Privacy Policy
    SMFAds for Free Forums
  • Naked Science Forum ©

Page created in 0.257 seconds with 59 queries.

  • Podcasts
  • Articles
  • Get Naked
  • About
  • Contact us
  • Advertise
  • Privacy Policy
  • Subscribe to newsletter
  • We love feedback

Follow us

cambridge_logo_footer.png

©The Naked Scientists® 2000–2017 | The Naked Scientists® and Naked Science® are registered trademarks created by Dr Chris Smith. Information presented on this website is the opinion of the individual contributors and does not reflect the general views of the administrators, editors, moderators, sponsors, Cambridge University or the public at large.